Since Yu was born, why was Liang also born?

On June 12, 2024, Lynk & Co. launched its first pure electric model, the Lynk Z10, globally in Stockholm, Sweden. The new car is based on Geely's SEA Vast architecture, equipped with a Golden Brick battery pack, and globally premiered electromagnetic suspension technology. Along with the FlymeAuto intelligent cockpit and Geely's self-developed E05 chip, as well as the most advanced intelligent driving software and hardware solutions, it has become a rising star in the market.

The Z10 can be seen as the mass-produced version of Lynk & Co.'s The Next Day concept car, and it can also be described as the epitome of Geely's new energy technology, which may compete directly with models like Xiaomi SU7 in the future.

While some applaud Lynk & Co.'s entry into the pure electric market, others find it somewhat contradictory. It's worth noting that if we look back, Lynk & Co.'s first pure electric model can be traced back to the Lynk Zero that debuted in 2021. However, due to some internal reasons, Lynk & Co.'s pure electric division was spun off, eventually becoming Zeekr. From the public's perspective, Lynk & Co. building its own electric cars will inevitably lead to competition with its own sibling brand.

Some bloggers also argue that since Zeekr is the result of Lynk & Co.'s pure electric division being spun off, it's now difficult to understand the significance of Zeekr's independent pure electric models when Lynk & Co. has also entered the pure electric market, and the emergence of Lynk & Co.'s pure electric models could easily lead to internal rivalry within the brand.

But regardless, Lynk & Co. now has its own pure electric vehicle lineup, and the Z10 is a significant step for the brand. So what do Lynk & Co. and Zeekr owners think of the Lynk Z10? I was curious and did some research.

Owners speak out, with praise and indifference

It just so happens that I have two colleagues, Xiao Huang and Xiao Zhuang, who are owners of a Zeekr 007 and a Lynk 03+ respectively. They often follow the automotive industry, especially models under the Geely Group, believing that there are only a handful of brands in China that focus on driving quality and driving pleasure, and Geely Group is one of them.

Xiao Zhuang first expressed his opinion on the exterior design of the Lynk Z10. He believes that the appearance of the Lynk Z10 is not very "Lynk-like." Although the new car is a mass-produced version of the The Next Day concept car, it lacks some design heritage. He said that all Lynk models have a unique water-cut design on the C/D pillars, but the Z10 does not continue this feature, and he is otherwise satisfied.

Regarding Lynk & Co.'s entry into the pure electric vehicle market, he believes there's no problem with it. Electrification is a major trend in the automotive industry, and building pure electric cars is a necessary path for many brands, including Lynk & Co. Making pure electric cars also means that people who love the Lynk & Co. brand have more choices, and looking at the Lynk Z10, it's not entirely a rebadged version of the Zeekr 001. Although both are based on the SEA architecture and share the genes of luxury and high performance, they use different intelligent cockpits and intelligent driving solutions, representing two completely different paths.

Speaking of Flyme Auto, Xiao Zhuang personally gives it his approval. An excellent intelligent cockpit solution undoubtedly adds points to the overall vehicle experience. The hand-car interconnection capabilities of Flyme Auto, as well as Meizu's refinement of the software system and the performance of small window applications, are very attractive to him, unfortunately not available on the 03+.

He doesn't care about Lynk & Co.'s powertrain form, what he values is the high performance and racing genes carried by the Lynk & Co. brand. Xiao Zhuang's real concern is whether Lynk & Co. will abandon its own perseverance by building larger, longer-wheelbase models that emphasize comfort in order to fully embrace the mainstream home market.

Xiao Huang also has his own opinion. Most of the early Zeekr buyers were those who liked the Lynk & Co. brand and wanted to buy a pure electric car. At that time, Lynk & Co. did not have a pure electric product, so this group of users was diverted to Zeekr. This statement has been confirmed by some Zeekr 001 owners, most of whom paid close attention to the Lynk Zero concept car. Although the mass-produced version did not belong to the Lynk & Co. brand, they could still buy it.

Zeekr owners seem relatively calm about Lynk & Co.'s move into pure electric vehicles. The aspects they pursue, such as new energy, design, intelligence, luxury, and driving pleasure, are all met by Zeekr, especially the Zeekr 001, which still retains traces of the Lynk & Co. brand in its design. In the future, they can also be car friends with Lynk electric car users. However, in their understanding, Zeekr and Lynk & Co. still have a very close relationship, and they are also somewhat concerned about the possibility of competition between the two pure electric brands.

Regarding the Flyme Auto intelligent cockpit, they are not Meizu phone users and are not too interested in it. Zeekr's ZEEKR OS has been updated and the experience is also very good. Xiao Huang believes that there is not much difference between his Zeekr 007's infotainment system and Flyme Auto. If given the opportunity to choose a car again, he probably wouldn't choose the Lynk Z10 because of Flyme Auto.

I understand that both Lynk & Co. and Zeekr users generally approve of the Lynk Z10 and Lynk & Co.'s entry into the pure electric market. They don't need to consider whether there is a conflict between the brands' products and generally don't believe that Lynk & Co. and Zeekr must have a "clear division of labor." In the eyes of these users, the philosophy and perseverance of the automotive brand are more important. The Z10 adheres to its unique design and luxurious technological tone, which in itself is worthy of applause.

Lynk & Co. building pure electric cars: Reasons and concerns

From an outside perspective, the Zeekr 001 and Lynk Z10 seem to be in a "since Yu was born, why was Liang also born" competitive relationship, with a high overlap in product positioning, which could easily lead to internal "fighting" within the group. This is a mainstream voice among the "opposition."

However, regarding the question of "whether Lynk & Co. needs to launch pure electric models," the answer was already given at the Lynk Z10 launch event. Lin Jie, Senior Vice President of Geely Automobile Group and General Manager of Lynk & Co. Sales Company, said that Lynk & Co. is a trendsetting symbol, and official surveys of users showed that 60% of users want pure electric cars, while 40% of Lynk & Co. owners would choose to replace their cars with pure electric ones. It is speculated that a large part of these 40% of Lynk & Co. owners chose Zeekr products.

It is not difficult to see that Lynk & Co. has developed into a well-known and reputable mature brand in the market for many years, with a certain user base. This means that there will always be a group of consumers who only want Lynk & Co.'s pure electric models.

On the other hand, product overlap between brands is quite common, and some automakers are not shy about discussing the issue of "rebadging," that is, providing two different exterior design schemes based on the same chassis and powertrain, targeting different consumer groups. While there will indeed be some overlap in positioning between the Lynk Z10 and the Zeekr 001 and Zeekr 007, this will not lead to direct competition between brands within the group. Lin Jie also revealed that the Lynk Z10 will also launch a 400V version. After research, it was found that not all users need 800V, which is different from Zeekr.

A friend who has a deep understanding of Geely Group's new energy brands also told me that to clearly understand the relationship between the Lynk Z10 and the Zeekr 001, one can refer to Porsche Taycan and Audi RS e-tron GT. Although most of the hardware technologies are common, different brands and designs will exhibit completely different tones.

He summarized that the emergence of the Lynk Z10 is expected to elevate the tone of the Zeekr brand. Lynk & Co. will focus on mainstream luxury, while Zeekr will focus on luxurious driving control. The Z10 may be slightly cheaper than the Zeekr 001 in price and is a heavyweight model for Geely Group to compete directly with Xiaomi SU7. As for Polestar and Lotus, they each have their own positioning and philosophy.

I believe that Lynk & Co.'s entry into the pure electric market is probably Geely's way of promoting the large-scale application of the SEA Vast architecture through "having more children to fight better" while continuously improving its products. However, product overlap is not entirely a good thing, and direct competition is also inevitable. For example, only the Porsche Taycan sells well among the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT; the Polestar 4, which is built on the SEA Vast architecture and has a positioning similar to the Zeekr 001, has been lukewarm in sales.

Objectively speaking, Geely Group has given Lynk & Co. users more choices, catering to those who want Flyme Auto and Lynk & Co. pure electric cars. It can indeed serve as a powerful supplement to Geely's new energy lineup. Regardless of whether Lynk & Co.'s entry into pure electric cars will lead to internal "fighting" within the group and waste R&D resources, I am not optimistic about whether the Lynk Z10 will become a new bestseller.

I predict that it may ultimately become a supplement to Geely's new energy sales because it does not have a very leading and outstanding configuration in the market, but rather provides more differentiated value.

Another point to note is that with Zeekr's independent listing, although there will still be complex technical and supply chain intersections relying on the Geely Group, Zeekr and Lynk & Co. are already completely different brands externally. "Fear of fighting" is a result of considering from the perspective of the entire Geely Group, but perhaps we cannot be so selfish when considering only Lynk & Co. After all, Lynk & Co. itself has calls from users for pure electric cars and corresponding technical reserves, so there is no reason not to try the pure electric market.

With reasonable motivation, the only question left for Lynk & Co. is: how to make good use of its "knife skills" to differentiate itself from similar products of other brands within the group in terms of positioning.

Lynk & Co. and Zeekr: Since Yu was born, why was Liang also born?

Returning to the product itself, the Lynk Z10's specifications are similar to those of the Zeekr 001, and it could even be described as the "Flyme Auto version of the Zeekr 001" in the minds of netizens. Before facing off against the Xiaomi SU7, it is expected that the Lynk Z10 and Zeekr 001 will inevitably clash, and competing for users is also expected. The saying "since Yu was born, why was Liang also born" probably refers to these two pure electric twins from Geely Group.

From the perspective of the sedan positioning, the Lynk Z10 may also divert some users who are considering the Zeekr 007. Currently, the detailed information about the Lynk Z10 has not been publicly disclosed. Based only on the information currently available, the Lynk Z10 may excel in design and cost-effectiveness, while the Zeekr 007 has advantages in space and intelligent driving.

The Lynk Z10 itself has many highlights and is a manifestation of Geely's latest solutions being implemented. However, based on the current competition in the automotive market, it is difficult for it to provide significantly better performance than models of the same class or price range, and pricing difficulties are also unprecedented. Its emergence complements certain market demands, but the chances of this "surviving in the cracks" product becoming a bestseller are not high.

Perhaps the "400V version" revealed by Lynk & Co. will be the key. Although the early promotion of the Lynk Z10 was relatively high-profile, its core product positioning is still below that of the Zeekr 007 and can also be considered as the pure electric version of the Lynk 07 EM-P. If not, if the final positioning of the Lynk Z10 completely overlaps with the Zeekr 007, it would not only increase internal consumption but also fail to play any strategic role in supplementing price segments.

Of course, there is still not enough information about the Lynk Z10 announced so far, especially regarding intelligence, core configuration, and other information, leaving some room for anticipation. Perhaps the Lynk Z10 can create its own characteristics under the SEA Vast platform and pure electric sedan template, opening up a new track, and only by responding to doubts with "differentiation" can it have a chance to succeed in the market.

Source: Leikeji