- The 39.5kWh battery is good for 124 miles of range
- A small petrol engine extends the overall range to 683 miles
- Big in China, Lynk & Co now has its sights set on European expansion
The list of new EV brands entering the European market is getting longer, and if you thought your brain capacity for remembering them all was already at melting point, there’s another to commit to memory.
Lynk & Co is based in Gothenburg, Sweden, and the start-up, which was originally a spin-off of Chinese-owned Geely group (itself the overseer of Volvo and Polestar) has been operating on a low-key basis in a handful of European countries for a couple of years.
Confusing, right? But the innovative company took a leaf out of Tesla’s book and challenged the traditional automotive dealership model with direct-to-consumer sales, subscription models and even memberships to its exclusive clubhouses.
It has a plethora of SUVs on sale in China, but just three in Europe, with its most recent release, the 08 hybrid SUV, boasting the longest electric range of any plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) on sale.
Those not wanting to commit to a fully-electric future can enjoy the best of both worlds, with a 200km (around 124 miles) of pure electric range, as well as the option to extend that to 1,100km (683 miles) when the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine kicks in.
Better still, the 39.5kWh battery can DC fast charge from 10% to 80% in just 33 minutes, meaning the 08 is perfectly useable as a pure electric vehicle for most folk.
It is based on the same basic platform as a number of other Geely products, such as the Polestar 2 and Volvo’s own XC40 Recharge hybrid model, while a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a massive 15.4-inch central display make up the infotainment offering inside.
The Chinese version even boasts a 92-inch augmented reality head-up display that spans a large proportion of the windshield. Although there is no word on the exact European specification just yet.
Prices start at €52,995 (or around $55,600), but Lynk & Co claims its focus is on Europe right now, rolling out more retail locations and generally expanding its presence in the coming months.
A slow start for this disruptor
Up until this point, Lynk & Co has been making steady progress in Europe, dusting itself off from £85million losses in 2021 and slowly building the brand and spreading word of its disruptive ownership model to more European countries.
The company wants to ram home the fact that it is a mobility provider, rather than a carmaker, offering its customers the chance to use vehicles on a subscription or even car-sharing basis if they don't want the burden of private ownership.
Lynk & Co also has a number of swanky membership clubhouses dotted around Europe, which serve as quasi-showrooms and places for members to hang out, party and take in cultural pop-up events.
Gunning for a younger audience, Lynk & Co wants its vehicles to support a lifestyle choice and Nicolas López Appelgren, CEO of Lynk & Co International, feels that the 08 will bridge the gap to full electric mobility and, hopefully, entice a new type of car user into the product.
