Lynk & Co is on the rise. The closed, Volvo-linked automaker has opened its tenth ‘Club’ in Milan and hopes to revolutionize mobility in Europe with its innovative new business model. Masculin.com was present and had the opportunity to talk with Alain Visser, CEO and founder of Lynk & Co, to better understand the challenges and objectives of the young mobility brand.

What is Lynk & Co and its concept?

Lynk & Co is an automobile manufacturer with Swedish originsfounded by Alain Visser, a former employee of Volvo Cars, with the support of the Scandinavian manufacturer and its shareholder Geely.

Founded at the end of 2015, the brand’s headquarters are in Gothenburg and it is there that the brand’s first and only model, the 01 was imagined. But Lynk & Co is above all an innovative commercial concept, which offers customers subscribe to cars instead of buying or renting them.

The tenth Club in Europe, then France

The brand has rapidly developed its activities in recent years and now has ten “Clubs” – places where customers can discover and test its cars, but above all, meet over a coffee, come to work and enjoy a selection of eco-responsible objects, from local brands and artists.

With Clubs in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, Lynk & Co is gradually developing its network to increase your notorietyby absolutely trying to move away from the traditional model of the dealership, which is sometimes cold and anxiety-provoking as we explained Alain Visser.

In Milan, right in the city center and a stone’s throw from the most beautiful districts, the new Club offers a cozy atmosphere, with its sofas and sophisticated lighting; guests could have a cocktail at the bar, work in the Tarot room, or just sit on the sofas in the lobby and enjoy some quiet time.

The inauguration evening also brought many of our Italian colleagues, curious to understand the approach of the manufacturer and this desire to offer a positive experience to customers and curious. During 2023, Lynk & Co should also open its first Club in France in Paris, to conquer France.

Subscribe to move, a logical step

Lynk & Co wants to revolutionize mobility in Europe with its unique subscription-based business model. The company believes that this model will provide customers with a more convenient and more affordable to enjoy a carwithout necessarily having the associated constraints and costs.

Pour a monthly subscription of 550€the customer benefits from an all-inclusive package with a new or recent vehicle (less than one year old), car insurance and maintenance, all without engagement. Better still, it is now possible to make your vehicle available via the Lynk & Co application for a few hours or a few days.

The stated objective is twofold: allow the customer to make his vehicle profitablesince it is he who directly affects the price paid by the borrower, and above all, improve the average car utilization rate in Europe, which barely stagnates at 4%. Yes yes, 96% of the time on average, a car is not used, it is just parked.

The 01, weapon of conquest

If we have spoken relatively little about the Lynk & Co 01 so far, it is above all because it is, just like the economic model or the Clubs, a weapon of conquest for the manufacturer. Based on a Volvo XC40 platform, it offers 100% unique lines and interior, with his own personality. Moreover, it is still simplicity that prevails, since apart from the color (Black and Blue) and the tow hook, there is absolutely no option, everything is included in terms of equipment!

We will have the opportunity to test it in more detail in a while, but we were able to momentarily take the wheel to face the virile traffic of Milan. With its rechargeable hybrid architecture of 261 cumulative hp, the 01 offers up to 69 km of all-electric range in town thanks to its useful 14.1 kWh batterygood enough not to use the heat engine of the week for classic journeys.

The grille is inspired by the mane of a lion, which is also found inside, on the door panels for example. This 4.54m compact SUV is harmonious and well built. If his line is discreet, he is singular enough to stand out from the others, well helped by a elegant light signature.

On the inside, sobriety and efficiency are on the program, with an interior dominated by black but enhanced with blue stitching throughout the interior. The finishes are good and if some materials could be more flattering, the whole is homogeneous and exudes solidity. Modernity is not left out with digital meters, infotainment is displayed on a beautiful 12″ touch screen, and the level of equipment is quite satisfactory: 360° camera, electric tailgate, electric driver’s seat , large panoramic sunroof are part of the range of series of the 01.

On the road, the plug-in hybrid system, with a 3-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor, develops 261 horsepower; this first prize in hand being done in town, we appreciated the softness of the 01 and its ability to sneak into town, in particular thanks to its compact size and its silent operation in all-electric mode. See you next year for a full test on our roads, but this first contact launches an excellent career for this 01.

What are Lynk & Co’s long-term goals?

Lynk & Co wants to become a major player in the European automotive market. The company plans to achieve this by expanding its operations to other countries and opening more clubs. Notoriety remains the brand’s number one objective, an ultimately very conservative European marketwhere uses take time to evaluate.

The product will also be evaluated in the future, with probably a 100% electric model, when the charging network at European level will be mature, which, despite what politicians say, is far from being the case.

With its tenth “Club” in Milan, Lynk & Co is gradually deploying its strategy to offer soft mobility that is more respectful of the environment and above all more virtuous, by offering its users make the daily immobilization of their car profitable, without constraint since the manufacturer even covers this car-sharing thanks to the insurer Allianz. To pay 550€ per month all inclusivecompetition is almost non-existent today, there is still an opportunity for the Swedish manufacturer to develop in Europe and gradually convert new followers.