The Lynk & Co experience, the Chinese company that aspires to become one of the main providers of flexible mobility solutions for hyperconnected generations, has arrived in Barcelona to stay.
This September, the automotive firm inaugurated one of its clubs for followers of the brand, specialized in the use of subscription vehicles, on Paseo de Gràcia, and has just announced that it will open offices in the 22@ district. The new center will hire 150 people by the end of the year and will be dedicated to both customer service and technology development for all of Southern Europe.
Spain is one of the markets where the brand has found the most users interested in joining its pay-per-use formula ---for a minimum period of one month--- for vehicles and the right to share them with other users. "That's why we wanted to create something special in Barcelona, where we have opened our first club in Spain," said Alain Visser, CEO during the inauguration of the Paseo de Gràcia premises.
The Spanish market already represents 10% of the 120,000 customers spread across Europe and has a thousand cars in circulation in several capitals, mainly Barcelona. Also Madrid, where it plans to open a new club in the first quarter of 2023; "it had to be for this year, but the lack of supplies of various materials will make it difficult for us to have it finished by the scheduled dates, but it will also be in the center of the capital," Visser said.
The premises for the rental and sale of Lynk & Co cars are not conventional dealerships. The brand shies away from this formula because it does not fit its business model: it bets on car rental, rather than sales.
The store that Lynk & Co has just opened in Barcelona is the brand's ninth and largest in Europe and only has one car on display, with the rest being work rooms open to the public, sales areas for sustainable fashion products and accessories, and a cafeteria. For the more daring, there is also an area for conversation that, decorated and well-appointed, immerses the client in a swimming pool; without water, of course. The products on display for sale are from foreign brands, but there is also a clear commitment to local and sustainable firms. You can find fashion and accessories from Saye, Weare, Notfriends, Calíope, Haan, Got Bag, New Mags, or Nortui, among others.
The automotive business model of this Chinese brand, which belongs to the Geely group ---of which Volvo is also a part---, began six years ago and is committed to sustainable models. Currently, it has a single model on the market, a hybrid SUV, marketed under the name Lynk & Co 01. "In two or three years, when the infrastructures for electric vehicles are more developed in large cities, which for now only happens in Norway, we will decide to build 100% electric vehicles," specified the CEO of the company, which has its headquarters in Sweden.
Meanwhile, brand lovers can purchase a Lynk & Co 01 vehicle ---only manufactured in blue and black--- for about 44,000 euros, or forgo ownership and rent and share it for 550 euros per month.
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