Lynk & Co unveils its second take on a shareable car
Lynk & Co might have only shown off its first tech-laden vehicle half a year ago, but it’s already set for a follow-up… and then some. The Geely-owned brand has unveiled the 03 Concept, a sedan sibling to the 01 Concept crossover (which has also reached its production-ready form). While the design won’t shock you — it’s really a lower-profile 01 — this brings Lynk & Co’s combination of technology and unique business models to a wider audience. The centerpiece remains a Microsoft/Alibaba-designed infotainment system with built-in car sharing support, which lets you lend your car to others through a smartphone app. However, there are also some new wrinkles in paying for Lynk & Co’s cars that could be as important as the cars themselves.
As before, Lynk & Co is making a big deal of direct online sales, where you’d pay a fixed price and wait for a delivery truck at home. However, it’s now teasing a subscription model where you pay for cars based on usage. If you only need a car for a few months at a time, you might not have to waste money by taking out a lease. The automaker also plans to offer free data, making sure you can use car sharing and apps without fear of running up a bill. It’s not clear if there are any catches to that data, but a true lifetime of data would stand in contrast to Tesla’s offer of free data for just the first few years of ownership.
It’s not clear what will power the 03, but the tailpipes on the concept suggest you’ll have the 01’s hybrid option at a minimum. The 01 is also expected to show up in all-electric form, so it would only be logical for the 03 to follow in its bigger sibling’s footsteps.
There are many unknowns surrounding both cars. Lynk & Co previously said that it wants to bring its cars to the US and Europe in 2018, but it has been quiet on how much they’ll cost — and that’s assuming the 03 makes it to market. If the fledgling badge accomplishes its goals, though, it’ll make a bigger splash than some other tech-driven car startups.
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