Geely pushes car sharing model

Chinese carmaker Geely is aiming to “disrupt the automobile industry and redesign the process of buying, owning and using a car” with its new Lynk and Co brand, reports CNet. Geely says its ride-sharing business model will allow owners to generate rental income when their car is not in use. When owners aren’t using their car, they can press the “Share” button located in the car’s infotainment stack and remotely grant access to the vehicle through a shareable key. An Lynk and Co app will let the owner monitor and share their car from their phone. Lynk and Co will also remove the traditional dealership model, by selling its cars online or at select locations. Prices will be fixed in all markets and vehicles will be delivered straight to the owner’s door. If the customer doesn’t want to purchase the car outright, they will be able to lease it. The marque recently debuted its first model, the 01 compact SUV, claiming that the model is the “most connected car in the world.” Lynk and Co is equipping its vehicles with an open-application programming interface, which allows third party developers to produce in-car apps to personalise the experience within its vehicles. Cloud, platform and online services are also in development, with partners including Microsoft, Ericsson and Alibaba. Lynk and Co says that all its vehicles will be fitted with large central touchscreen systems capable of running Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirror Link.