If you want to buy an all-electric Volvo SUV right now, your only choice is the Volvo XC40 Recharge. This will change in the very near future as the Chinese-owned Swedish brand intends to electrify its lineup by way of plug-in hybrids or all-electrics. Pure internal combustion-engined models will soon be a thing of the past.
And speaking of Volvo's Chinese ownership, parent company Geely also aims to become a major player in the electric vehicle market in not only its home country but in Europe as well. Although Volvos will still be sold in that market, another Geely-owned brand will soon debut there. Will the US be next? It's possible. Our spy photographers just snapped photos of the facelifted Lync and Co. 01 SUV testing on public roads in Europe ahead of its official premiere.
Like the XC40, the Lync and Co. 01 rides on the same CMA platform that's also expected to underpin a new Lotus SUV. Lotus is another Geely-owned brand. The 01 has been on sale in China for a few years now but some updates are now required, and they're especially important for Europe. These new photos reveal a prototype whose front end is covered although it appears only a few minor changes are happening here. The same goes for the rear bumper.
However, some company employees got sloppy because they neglected to cover the new interior. You can see that the infotainment screen has increased in size and the control for the electronic handbrake has a new position. There's also less tacky-looking chrome trim than before. The steering wheel has also been redesigned.
The question is whether or not the Lync and Co. brand as a whole will come to the US. At this time it seems unlikely simply because Geely already has Volvo firmly established here. But why does it believe Lync and Co. can succeed in Europe? Probably because they'll cost less than their more luxurious Volvo cousins.
Furthermore, Europeans are keener to buy EVs at the moment than Americans. Lync and Co's success in China continues to be strong and now it aims to bring its Tesla Model Y rival to another continent.