Volvo Cars has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese company Geely Auto to become the exclusive importer and distributor of Lynk & Co electric vehicles in Europe, the company said on March 30.
After Volvo Cars last year brought back CEO Hakan Samuelsson - a trusted confidant of Geely-owner Li Shufu who ran Volvo Cars for over a decade - the company has strengthened its collaboration with brands, suppliers and technology that are ultimately controlled by privately held Geely Holding.
Among them, Lynk & Co, founded in 2016 in Sweden, is a premium brand that sells and rents vehicles in several European markets and has expanded beyond its original 01 plug-in hybrid SUV.
"Volvo Cars intends to use Volvo Cars retailers for the sale of Lynk & Co cars and use its sales and servicing system in relevant markets," Volvo Cars said.
Three Lynk & Co models, 01, 02 and 08, are set to be sold through Volvo under the current deal, a Geely Auto spokesperson said, though the line-up might change depending on the final agreement or business circumstances.
All are built in China, and Lynk & Co 02 is a pure electric vehicle, meaning the 02 model will be subject to EU tariffs, the spokesman added. The other two models are hybrids.
