China's Geely, which owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus, wants to become one of the world's leading electric car brands. Volvo has already launched its first electric model, the XC40 Recharge, while Geely's luxury Lync and Co sub-brand has expanded significantly since the CCC Concept debuted in 2016.
Its design influenced five new models launched by the Chinese brand after the original Lynk & Co 01, including an electric SUV, Crossover, Coupe SUV and sedans. Ahead of its debut at the Beijing Auto Show, Lynk & Co has unveiled the Zero Concept previewing the company's future design direction.
Lynk & Co's second concept takes the form of a sleek electric crossover with a coupe-style roofline, frameless doors, slim LED headlights, a full-width light bar, and a sporty roof spoiler. In our eyes, this is a very attractive-looking crossover concept that bodes well for future production models.
Underpinning the Zero Concept is Geely's Sustainable Experience Architecture, a pure electric platform that will be used on all new Geely electric vehicles. Expect future electric Volvos to utilize this new platform too.
Geely also wants the SEA architecture to be the "world's first open-source architecture" that can be used by third-party car manufacturers for their EV models.
"Our new electric architecture gives us the freedom to develop beautifully proportioned cars that are elegant, flexible and completely dynamic. Sustainability is key in our design strategy; we believe in a future with carefully selected materials and new technologies," said Stefan Rosen, Head of Lynk & Co Design.
The Zero Concept will enter production in 2021 and support over-the-air updates with artificial intelligence and full voice interaction. Technical details haven't been announced, but Lynk & Co claims the production version will have over 700 km (434 miles) of range based on the NEDC cycle and accelerate from 0-62 mph in less than four seconds.
Lynk & Co plans to launch the 01 electric SUV in Europe later this year but has not outlined plans to sell cars in the US yet.