Volvo Cars and Geely Auto have signed a memorandum of understanding that would make Volvo the exclusive importer and commercial operator for Lynk & Co vehicles across Europe. The deal covers sales, marketing, and aftersales services, while Lynk & Co’s product development and global operations outside Europe remain with Geely Auto Group.
Highlights
- Exclusive European importer: Volvo Cars would take full responsibility for Lynk & Co’s commercial and brand operations across Europe under the signed MoU, subject to final agreements and regulatory approvals.
- Dealer network integration: Lynk & Co models will be sold through Volvo’s established retailer network and serviced through its existing infrastructure, eliminating the need for a standalone dealer buildout.
- Three models in scope: The Lynk & Co 01, 02, and 08 are set to be retailed through Volvo, with the 02 being a battery-electric model and the 01 and 08 offered as hybrids. All three are built in China.
- No ownership change: Lynk & Co remains fully owned by Geely Auto Group, with unchanged shareholding structure and continued control over global product design, development, and certification.
Shared Retail Infrastructure Replaces Standalone Strategy
The partnership formalizes and expands an existing collaboration in which both brands already share retail locations at selected European sites. Under the new arrangement, Volvo Cars’ chief commercial officer Erik Severinson said the company would use its commercial system to support Lynk & Co’s European growth while broadening its own addressable market.
“With this new arrangement, we will leverage our commercial system to support Lynk & Co’s growth ambitions in Europe,” Severinson said. “At the same time, it enables Volvo Cars and our retail partners to address a wider customer base.”
For Volvo’s dealer partners, the arrangement adds showroom traffic and service revenue without requiring additional product development investment. For Lynk & Co, it avoids the cost and complexity of building a dedicated European retail network from scratch.
A Pivot From Lynk & Co’s Original European Model
Lynk & Co entered Europe in 2021 with a subscription-only, online-first sales approach. However, fleet management costs proved unpredictable and sales remained modest, with cumulative European registrations reaching roughly 90,000 units through September 2025. In mid-2024, the Lynk & Co 01 was temporarily pulled from sale over EU cybersecurity regulation compliance.
Under CEO Nicolas López Appelgren, who took the helm in late 2024, the brand abandoned the online-only model and began building a conventional dealer network. The Volvo partnership represents the next step in that strategic shift.
EU Tariff Exposure
The Lynk & Co 02, as a pure battery-electric vehicle manufactured in China, is subject to European Union tariffs on Chinese-built EVs. The 01 and 08, both hybrids, fall outside that tariff scope. This dynamic could influence pricing strategy and volume expectations for the all-electric model in particular.
Broader Geely Integration
The MoU fits within Geely Holding Group’s wider effort to strengthen collaboration among its portfolio brands, which include Volvo Cars, Polestar, Zeekr, and Lotus. Geely announced in January 2026 that it aims to rank among the world’s five largest automakers, targeting annual global sales exceeding 6.5 million vehicles by 2030.
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