Praised be Lynk & Co?

If the name Lynk & Co is original, the operating principle of this brand from the Geely group is no less so. The Chinese giant, owner of Volvo, has chosen a unique positioning for its young brand created in 2016, favoring a no-obligation rental formula, which can be canceled at any time. Thus, for 500 euros/month, it will be possible to rent the only vehicle initially offered, the Lynk & Co 01, with insurance, maintenance in the Volvo network and 1250 km (0,15 euro/additional km) included.

It is also possible to buy it in cash, for 41 euros excluding bonuses, or 500 euros less than its Volvo-badged cousin which shares the same technical base, the XC7600 Recharge T40. Here, we are not looking to break records for value for money with thunderous offers like other Chinese manufacturers, but we want to be different, modern and cool with a high-end, very high-tech vehicle and communication aimed at an audience of millennials (today's thirty-somethings).

The Lynk & Co 01 is a compact plug-in hybrid SUV (4,54 m) with a flattering design, with 261 hp of cumulative power and an all-electric range of 69 km (according to the WLTP standard), thanks to its 14,1 useful kWh. The vehicle is very well equipped as standard with a panoramic roof, an electric tailgate, adaptive cruise control, an integrated camera for selfies, connected to social networks and just two metallic colors, black or blue. In the wake of Volvo, this model benefits from the maximum EuroNCAP rating for its safety aspects, with 5 stars.

The gift of sharing

When renting or buying, the bill can be reduced by making your car available to a community for a fee, whether they are close friends (family, friends) or strangers, members of the brand. For the rest, everything is done online, with a dedicated application for car sharing and a digital key system.

This is therefore a slightly strange solution, halfway between a digitalized automobile start-up and a car-sharing service, of which no one knows what the real potential is in our region. Will tenants or owners trust strangers to leave their car with them? Will there be enough of them to create a sufficient fleet to become a real car-sharing player against Free2Move and other Zity by Mobilize?

The bet is to say that a car is generally only used 4% of the time by its owner, leaving plenty of room for others. Enough to sublet your car until, for the most organized, reducing the monthly 500 euros to zero. So much for the theory. The future will tell if, in France, the formula will find its place. In any case, in Europe, according to the brand, the objectives have been largely exceeded, with 27 members having signed, including 000% for a no-obligation formula.