Lynk & CO, the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group brand that hopes to upend the traditional ownership model with monthly subscriptions, has launched its first model in Europe, the 01 compact SUV.
The 01 is a close cousin of the Volvo XC40, with which it shares the CMA platform and many drivetrain components. But while the XC40 is available with a full-electric powertrain, the Lynk & CO 01 is available in Europe only as a full hybrid or a plug-in hybrid, depending on country.
Lynk & CO, which is jointly owned by Volvo Cars and Geely Auto, has been a sales success in China, where the 01 was first launched in 2017. Total sales since then of the 01 and four other models stand at about 570,000, the automaker said in October, with 147,960 sales in China in the first nine months of this year, a 40 percent increase over 2020.
But in Europe, Lynk & CO is pushing the subscription model, at 500 euros a month for up to 1,250 km, with cancellation available at any time. Aftersales service is handled through Volvo’s network as well as a dedicated Lynk & CO call center in the Netherlands.
Lynk & CO CEO Alain Visser said in mid-November at a press test drive in Paris that 95 percent of sales in Europe had been to subscribers rather than buyers. Prices vary slightly by country; in France, only the plug-in version is available to buy, at 41,500 euros; in comparison, a plug-in hybrid XC40 Recharge starts at 47,600 euros in France.