/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25670725/LYNKCO_02_Exterior_04_Hires_D8d8a9.jpg "Lynk & Co’s first EV is meant to be shared to lower its price")
Lynk & Co’s first EV is meant to be shared to lower its price
By Thomas Ricker , a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for almost 20 years.
Lynk & Co just launched the 02, the company’s first fully-electric vehicle that’s designed from the ground up to be shared with family, friends, or anyone willing to pay for the privilege. The EV is interesting, but not nearly as interesting as Lynk & Co’s unique approach to car ownership.
Once you buy, lease, or subscribe to a 02 you can become a “lender,” in Lynk & Co parlance, to set the price and conditions for sharing. In Amsterdam, a quick browse through the Lynk & Co app shows several of its 01 plug-in hybrids available to borrow for €7 to €12 per hour (or €47 to €123 per day), usually with a “no pets, no smoking” requirement. Borrowers are automatically billed for fuel consumed when the car is returned.
This lending model has two intertwined benefits. First, the owner can reduce their monthly payments by sharing the 02 whenever it’s not needed — weekends or evenings, for example. That then benefits everyone who lives in the same city, since increasing utilization prevents the cars from just sitting idle, taking up valuable public space.
