Zeekr becomes majority shareholder of Lynk & Co

Zeekr has announced the closing of Strategic Integration Transactions with Geely's Lynk & Co, following which it has now become the latter's majority shareholder. The news effectively makes Lynk & Co a Zeekr subsidiary.

Lynk & Co was first founded in Gothenburg in 2016 between Volvo and Geely. Zeekr, on the other hand, was established later in 2021 by Geely to specialise in premium electric cars. 

The move sees Lynk & Co becoming a subsidiary of Zeekr, under the newly-established Zeekr Group (Pictured: Lynk & Co Z20)

Zeekr states that its move to take control of Lynk & Co was born out of the goal of deepening collaboration between both brands, and thus also establishing a premium new energy vehicle group, to be known henceforth as the Zeekr Group.

Together, the two brands are targeting global sales of 710,000 units and the operation of over 200 overseas stores, in their bid to become joint global leaders in premium new energy vehicles under the Group. 

The move apparently brings benefits to the sales and enterprise value for both companies. In raw figures, Zeekr Group is estimating a 10-20% decrease in research and development expenses; a similar 10-20% drop in expenses for support and service departments; a 5-8% reduction in supply chain costs; and a 3-5% increase in production capacity utilisation.

Slated for global launch this year under the Group are the Lynk & Co 08 EM-P (left/above) and Zeekr 7X (right/below), the latter of which was officially previewed at the 2025 Singapore Motor Show

The Group also foresees that the product lineup of both brands will complement each other in markets where plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery-electric vehicle (BEVs) are sold, helping it cover a broader range of market segments.  

Amidst the move to synergise both companies, however, Zeekr and Lynk & Co have stated that each brand will maintain its independence in products and operations - with the exception of a gradual integration of office operations. (It appears, however, that the European team will be exempt from this integration.) 

Likewise, each brand will have slightly different focuses in terms of branding and product lineups. 

Zeekr, on the one hand, is positioning itself as a luxury technology brand with specific additional emphasis on performance and technology. Its lineup will skew more towards mid-to-large-sized vehicles, with its mid-size offerings comprising pure electric vehicles, and its large-size offerings focusing on hybrids. 

On the other hand, Lynk & Co is taking a slightly different tack as a premium new energy brand with a focus on being "trendy, sporty, and personal". Its product lineup will also be centred more within the small-to-mid-sized segment instead. 

The Zeekr Group is also teasing an expanded lineup of cars for both brands following the integration. Currently on the calendar for 2025 are the global launches of the Lynk & Co 08 EM-P - a PHEV SUV, and the electric Zeekr 7X SUV (which was previewed in Singapore in January's Singapore Motor Show).