Geely’s Lynk & Co. Unit Near Decision on European Production

Geely Automobile Holding Co.’s new Lynk & Co. brand says it will decide by about the end of March whether to build its first model in Europe or supply the region from China.

The company’s “01” small SUV/crossover vehicle (pictured) went on sale in China in November. Lynk Senior Vice President Alain Visser tells a conference in Germany that the $24,000 hybrid will debut in Europe at the end of 2019.

The 01 rides on the same platform that carries the XC40 small crossover made by Geely’s Volvo Cars unit. Volvo, which owns 30% of Lyft, assembles the XC40 in Ghent, Belgium.

Lynk originally planned to launch the 01 in the U.S. and European markets this year. Now it intends to enter the U.S. in 2020. Last November Visser told Reuters that the company also might assemble the crossover at the factory Volvo expects to open later this year in South Carolina.

Visser predicts Lynk will reach sales of 100,000 units in China this year. The brand aims to achieve annual global volume of 500,000 units by the end of 2021, with about 25% of the total generated in Europe.​​​​