Lynk & Co finally goes fully electric with Z10 sedan (update)

Lynk & Co, the Swedish-Chinese sister brand to Zeekr, Volvo, and Polestar, is going fully electric with the in July newly revealed Z10, a five-meter-long luxury sedan with a pure electric range of over 800 km. Presented first in Gothenburg, Sweden, it now debuts in China, with prices starting at 202,800 yuan (€25,733) to 288,800 yuan (€46,646).

With a temporary launch rebate of 6,000 yuan, you can get one for 196,800 yuan (€24,972) or some 7,890 euros cheaper than the Zeekr 001 in China. The base model uses the 400-volt platform and gets a 200 kW rear-wheel-drive motor and a 71 kWh LFP battery, providing a CLTC range of 602 kilometers.

Five versions

The following two RWD versions with a larger 95 kWh battery promise a 766 km range. There are five versions: three on 400 Volts, two on the 800 Volts SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform, the same that underpins the Zeekr 001. The higher voltage allows faster charging, adding 573 kilometers of extra range in 15 minutes.

The 800V RWD Smart Max version draws an 806 km (CTLC) range from the 95 kWh battery. The top model, AWD Smart Ultra, with a 310 kW motor at the rear and 270 kW at the front wheels, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/hour in 3.5 seconds and offers a 250 km/hour top speed. That extra power you’ll pay for in range, with a maximum of 702 km.

This top model also features dual-chamber air suspension, with an adjustable height of ± 30 mm and dynamic all-wheel-drive torque distribution.

The new Lynk & Co Z10 is a large sedan with a wheelbase of 3,005 mm and dimensions of 5,028 x 1,966 x 1,468 mm. According to the brand, the interior of the Z10 “draws inspiration from a spaceship, creating a futuristic cabin. The cockpit features a sci-fi-inspired dashboard, a narrow 12.3:1 ultra-long screen, and an AR head-up display (AR-HUD) for enhanced driving information visibility.”

Lotus tech

In the Zeekr Z10, we also see the influence of another Geely daughter, Lotus, by using its Robotics system with 30 sensors and cameras and offering 33 advanced driver aid systems (ADAS).

Highway NOA (Navigation on Autopilot) comes standard, enabling a car to stay in its lane, change lanes, traverse intersections, and even handle highway driving without direct human interaction. The next step, closer to fully autonomous driving, is Urban NOA, which adds the ability to wait for traffic lights and give way to pedestrians. It will be upgraded later via OTA (over-the-air).

To cope with all that data, the Z10 is the first Chinese production car to use an AMD V2000A chip, offering 1.8 times more computing power than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295, which is widely used today. Both AMD and Qualcomm are American chip giants with their roots in California.

Second generation design

Inspired by the Lynk & Co ‘The Next Day’ concept car two years ago, the Z10 marks the launch of Lynk & Co’s second-generation design language in a sleek aerodynamic sedan with a drag coefficient of 0.198 Cd.

The original Lynk & Co design and the concept that would initially become the brand’s first fully electric car were picked up by Zeekr in the 001 and the Zeekr X, the latter being a twin brother to the Volvo EX30.

Lynk & Co is a joint venture between Geely Auto and Volvo, while Zeekr is wholly owned by Geely Auto, positioning it as a more luxury brand. Both brands share the same buildings in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Highly luxurious sedan

Lynk & Co says the name ‘Z10’ derives from ‘ZERO,’ representing Zeal, Enjoyment, Responsibility, and Originality, encapsulating the company’s vision. “It embodies the four essential elements of driving pleasure, enjoyment, safety, and quality the Z10 promises to deliver.”

It is a highly luxurious sedan with ventilation, heating, and massage features, among other things, in both front and rear seats. An entire glass roof adds light to the spacious interior.

No plans for Europe specified

The plans for Europe haven’t been specified yet. In China, Lynk & Co. sells a whole model line of (ICE) cars, as the Chinese tend to be more sensitive to owning a car as a status symbol than Europeans today.

The brand only sells the 001 SUV in Europe, a 200 mm longer PHEV variant of Volvo’s similar XC40. But it’s mostly known for its unique monthly subscription concept, which was the brainchild of former (Belgian) CEO and co-founder Alain Visser.

Mobility service model

He preferred to try out a mobility service model and push his customers to share it as much as possible for sustainability reasons. Research predicted t market of 15% for this idea. With 74 million new cars to be sold worldwide in 2023, 15% is still a whopping 11 million potential interested clients to go for. Eventually, however, this was not as easy as hoped.

The idea, a €500 monthly subscription (VAT included) launched in Sweden and the Netherlands just after the coronavirus pandemic and later extended to Belgium, Germany, Italy, and France, initially caught on more than envisioned. To an extent, the brand became a victim of its success while dealing with shortages and long delivery times like every other brand in the sector.

Since July 2022, Lynk & Co has had to raise its monthly subscription price for the 01 SUV PHEV from €500 to €550 (VAT incl.) or a complete 10% for all new contracts. And that was only the beginning.

Despite the efforts to rapidly establish a service and support organization with several ‘clubs’ in major European cities, most client contacts are online, and the system often shows signs of being on the blink, with many complaints showing up until today.

Visser vanishing suddenly

In December 2023, Belgian Alain Visser, founder and driving force behind Lynk & Co, unexpectedly left the company and ‘vanished’ from the European car scene. Until now, it’s unclear why he was forced out, but parent companies Geely and Volvo likely lost their patience to see Visser’s idea turn out profitable.

Without Alain Visser, the idea of an affordable car subscription – somewhat like you subscribe to a streaming service like Netflix – will likely be even further on trial.

Visser was succeeded as CEO by Nicolas Lopez Appelgren, a 28-year Volvo veteran and former Head of Retail Operations at Volvo Cars. Meanwhile, monthly subscription fees for the Lynk & Co PHEV have been raised to 699 euros, along with a €200 ‘inscription fee’. We’ll have to wait and see what the Z10 means in this context if the luxury sedan is intended to cross the ocean after all.