In the current economic downturn, everyone is pursuing the ultimate cost-effectiveness of car use. Electric cars do have advantages in this aspect, but pure electric cars are still unable to become the only car for many users. Compared to pure electric cars, hybrid solutions can guarantee a close-to-electric driving experience while eliminating range anxiety.
Standing at the “second spring” of the rapid development of new energy, Lynk & Co. has started a new exploration and comprehensive innovation of hybrid technology. At the Spring/Summer Release Conference on June 6th, Lynk & Co. released the intelligent hybrid Lynk E-Motive technology and announced the start of the process of comprehensive electrification.
In addition, in the fierce competition in the hybrid market, young people have gradually been ignored, and the most common descriptions I have heard are not individual enough, boring to drive, and poor design sense. As one of the car manufacturers in China that best understands the psychology of young people, Lynk & Co. 01 has once again been entrusted with an important mission.
Based on the Lynk E-Motive intelligent hybrid system, the Lynk & Co. 01 EM-P has made its debut, with good performance in battery safety, power delivery experience, performance and energy efficiency balance, and intelligence.
Safety and Quality Are Equally Important
Battery safety is the top priority for new energy vehicles, and the Lynk & Co. 01 EM-P, which uses a hybrid structure, has taken this into consideration in the design process.
Firstly, it’s easy to glance that there are no protrusions underneath the chassis of the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P, and the battery pack is placed in the “L”-shaped area between the armrest box and the rear floor. The mid-mounted battery pack is also a product developed by Lynk & Co. The layout not only ensures that the vehicle is difficult to damage the battery in a collision, but it also reduces the risk of damage to the battery pack from dragging compared to the design of flat batteries in many pure electric vehicle models.
In terms of noise control, the interior noise level of the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is only 42.4 decibels at idle, and the highest interior noise level is about 67 decibels during full-throttle acceleration within 100 kilometers. In terms of sensory perception, the perceivable noise of Lynk & Co 01 EM-P during rapid acceleration is much lower than that of traditional fuel vehicles. The noise generated by the engine during daily driving is also very slight, and the sensory perception is not very different from that of pure electric vehicle models.
More than just being fun to drive, there are surprises
The CMA architecture, led by Volvo and jointly developed by Geely and Volvo, brings the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P excellent chassis quality in its class.
The suspension system is simple and crisp at low speeds, and the large damping at the front first controls the body when encountering larger deceleration strips, while the rear has ample resilience. On smooth high-speed roads, the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P’s chassis can filter out small vibrations very well, providing a certain degree of isolation and strong sense of weight.
Compared to some traditional pure electric vehicle models, the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P also has superior versatility.Traditional automakers entering the new energy market often fall into the trap of prioritizing “driving experience” as the most important aspect. In the past, achieving a high score in the “utility” attribute of a vehicle was sufficient, while the “multi-scenario expansion capability” was not emphasized. However, after companies such as XPeng and Ideal discovered this, “multi-scenario expansion capability” has become one of the standards for determining whether a product is excellent or not.
Taking a small example to illustrate a larger issue, let’s start with the recent camping craze. Traditional automakers like the Volkswagen ID.4, Honda CRV PHEV, and Toyota RAV4 PHEV can certainly handle the task of taking you comfortably to the outskirts, but that’s about all they can offer. The Lynk & Co 01 EM-P has indeed considered “multi-scenario expansion capability“: the 3.3 kW external power output is enough to power lighting, electric hot pots, and even small ovens, and a lightweight power cord can replace the expensive and dangerous large power banks.
Most importantly, the WLTC comprehensive endurance of the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P reaches 850 km, and the car’s system can be separately set up with a “parking power generation” function, providing enough electricity for several days of camping without the risk of insufficient endurance.
No anxiety, just fun
Light and nimble with or without powerThe Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is equipped with a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 1.5T three-cylinder engine with the code name DHE15-ESZ, a front axle permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power of 100 kW, and a 17.7 kWh battery pack. This system can achieve a maximum comprehensive power of 180 kW, a maximum comprehensive torque of 545 N·m, and 0-100 km/h acceleration in 7.6 seconds.
The Lynk & Co 01 EM-P has three driving modes to choose from: Pure Electric Mode, Intelligent Mode, and Sport Mode. In Pure Electric Mode, the vehicle runs smoothly and quietly. The slightly heavy throttle pedal and excellent tuning make the power release linear, providing an easy and comfortable driving experience.
Through the energy flow displayed on the instrument panel, I found that the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P hybrid system works actively during driving. Whether it is series, parallel, or mixed connection, the switch action of the system is very smooth and imperceptible.
The Lynk & Co 01 EM-P hybrid system adopts a 3-speed DHT Pro transmission. The design concept is similar to Toyota’s THS, but compared with Toyota, Lynk & Co provides an additional 3 gears by using the combination of control elements and planetary gear sets.The design allows DHT Pro transmission to achieve a maximum mechanical efficiency of up to 97.5%. The three-speed ratio transmission design also enables it to enter the parallel driving mode with engine and motor at a speed of over 20 km/h. It’s worth noting that most of BYD’s DM-i models require a speed of over 70 km/h to achieve direct drive by the engine, and the design of DM-i’s single gear ratio makes it relatively weak in high-speed acceleration.
Therefore, the structural design of Lynk & Co 01 EM-P theoretically not only achieves good fuel economy, but also provides a decent acceleration experience at medium and high speeds, and has a good cost-performance ratio.
Compared with the 1.5 L engine of DM-i models at the same price range, Lynk & Co 01 EM-P maintains the same fuel consumption level compared with DM-i while carrying a 1.5 TD engine and providing faster power and acceleration. In our actual experience, Lynk & Co 01 EM-P still has light and nimble acceleration even when the electric power is at 0%.
In addition, it’s worth mentioning that the CRBS brake calibration of Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is well-tuned, with almost no disconnected feeling between kinetic energy recovery and mechanical brakes, and the pedal feel is solid, proving the profound foundation of traditional automakers in hardware calibration.
For daily driving, I suggest choosing the “smart power preservation” mode if there is no fixed charging condition. At this time, the vibration and noise will not significantly increase compared to the full electric mode, and the fuel economy will be better.
It’s worth mentioning that the “Intelligent Driving Mode” of the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is also very interesting. Based on Lynk & Co’s intelligent hybrid technology, the system can recognize and remember the driving habits of the driver, and form a set of power output logic that is suitable for specific drivers. At the same time, according to the driving scenario, it adjusts power output in real-time to form the best solution that takes into account fuel consumption, power, and driving experience, further improving fuel efficiency.
The hybrid strategy mentioned here is the most fundamental part that tests the skills of car companies, and it is also the soul of hybrid fuel economy.
The Lynk & Co 01 EM-P not only achieves a balance between fuel consumption and power performance, but also surpasses some pure electric models in terms of expansion and fun.
No worries about battery life
The Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is equipped with a 17.7 kWh ternary lithium battery pack, with a pure electric range of 70 km. Compared with similar models that can reach over 100 km, this is not a very large battery. In the range test section, the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P gave me a pleasant surprise.
Starting at full charge, our testing route was the Shanghai Outer Ring Expressway. After 1 hour and 35 minutes, the remaining battery charge was 0\%, with an average speed of 51 km/h. From 100\% battery to 0\%, the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P achieved a pure electric range of 81.3 km, exceeding the official WLTC range of 70 km and achieving a “reverse virtual standard”.
If you calculate the daily commute of 20 km against me, one full charge of the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P can meet three days of commuting needs. If you have an at-home charging pile, the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P can operate in pure electric mode for commuting needs. However, if you need to travel far temporarily, the advantage of hybrid mode over pure electric mode is the ability to leave at any time without anxiety.
So at this point, the fuel consumption of this car is critical.
After the battery power ran down to 0%, the system automatically switched to “Smart Mode”. In this mode, I drove a distance of 118.7 km and the fuel consumption displayed on the gauge was 5.0 L, which was indeed beyond my expectations. This also proves that the hybrid strategy of the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is excellent.
For users without an at-home charging pile, the cost of driving purely on fuel is also very low. In addition, the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P supports 92 gasoline, and the maintenance interval of 15,000 km/12 months is longer than that of traditional fuel vehicles, further reducing the user’s cost of driving.
Furthermore, Lynk & Co officially stated that car owners who place orders before October 31, 2022 can get free charging and discharging equipment, and all first-time owners of any Lynk & Co 01 EM-P model who place orders can enjoy an official service of 37% residual value renewal for three years.
Intelligence cannot be neglected
The Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is equipped with a brand new electronic and electrical architecture and has four domain controls of intelligent driving, chassis, body, and cabin, with OTA functions. This also means that Lynk & Co can transition from partial OTA to four-domain OTA upgrades.Compared with most hybrid models of traditional automakers, they are still based on the fuel vehicle platform and are at a disadvantage in intelligent driving, smart cockpit, functional OTA, etc., with very limited space for future upgrades. Whereas, the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P based on a brand-new generation of electronic electrical architecture can still be upgraded through OTA for a quite long time in the future, maintaining competitiveness while providing novelty.
In terms of cockpit hardware, the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P has replaced the Qualcomm 8155 chip across the board. Of course, the hardware is only the foundation, whether it is good or not depends on software capability.
A few days before I experienced the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P, I happened to be driving Volkswagen ID.4. First of all, both ID.4 and Lynk & Co 01 EM-P have done a good job in driving experience. However, the infotainment issues that ID.4 has long been criticized for are indeed “as bad as they say”. During a few days of use, the lagging happens frequently, and the not-so-smart navigation and very basic voice assistant also make one feel regretful.
In comparison, the performance of Lynk & Co 01 EM-P in the infotainment aspect is indeed better than that of Volkswagen ID.4. First of all, in terms of operating logic, during use, the functions of Lynk & Co 01 EM-P are not as complex and chaotic as those of ID.4, and the various functional areas are clearly defined and easy to find. Secondly, in terms of user experience, compared with the slow clicking interaction and frequently disconnected system of ID.4, the infotainment operation of Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is smooth and easy to handle, while the 5G hotspot, WIFI function, and third-party APP greatly improve the usability.In terms of UI design, Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is more in line with the preferences of Chinese consumers. Compared to the simple “German style” ID.4, the UI design of Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is obviously more advanced, rich, and designed. Thanks to the powerful computing power of the 8155 chip, Lynk & Co has even rendered delicate models for the interface of the sunroof/sunshade switch and the vehicle setting interface, which is worth praising.
And the voice assistant wake-up accuracy of Lynk & Co 01 EM-P is very high, and it can quickly respond to operations such as adjusting the air conditioning temperature, opening/closing the windows, setting navigation, and other operations. To be honest, this performance can be ranked at the forefront of new energy products from traditional brands.
When I switched from the Volkswagen ID.4 I drove a few days ago to the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P I’m driving now, I can intuitively feel that Lynk & Co has put more effort into creating the interior atmosphere: the variable color ambient lights, Nappa leather, and Nubuck suede on the high-end models all greatly help in creating a quality feeling. The Infinity 10-speaker sound system also sounds very good, with balanced high, middle, and low frequencies, and very clean vocal reproduction.
In terms of advanced driving assistance, Lynk & Co 01 EM-P has 1 forward camera, 4 surround cameras, 5 millimeter wave radars, and 4 ultrasonic radars (optional 12 ultrasonic radars).
In terms of function, this system can realize adaptive cruise control with LKA lane keeping, ACCQA with queuing function, ALCA with lane change assist and APA with automatic parking assist. In actual experience, the LKA lane keeping function of this system deserves a good evaluation, and the longitudinal control is very stable even when facing sharp curves.
Conclusion
Let’s recall the PHEV market a few years ago. Almost everyone who bought a hybrid model was affected by policy, compromising to avoid restrictions and to obtain a license plate. A hybrid car was just a compromise. The LYNK & CO 01 EM-P represents the “upgrade of new energy consumption” – hybrid models can also have higher product power and better experience, no longer just secondary products of policy.
From the perspective of product power, the LYNK & CO 01 EM-P is a comprehensive product. Compared with hybrid models of the same level, the 01 EM-P has higher configuration, energy saving, and responsive power in all speed domains, and the performance of fuel consumption and power is still good under feeding conditions. Compared with models of the same price, the 01 EM-P has advantages in safety, endurance, driving pleasure, and other aspects.
From the perspective of young people’s psychology, it’s hard to find a hybrid model that balances individuality, trendiness, driving pleasure, and quality in the same price range. They can only compromise with life in the boring and highly homogenized product trends.
The LYNK & CO 01 EM-P is obviously a panacea for these young people. Moreover, looking back, LYNK & CO’s road to success has never been a low-end cost-effective route, but the direction they have really tried is to capture people’s hearts with quality and design.And as for the hybrid battle, we’ll have to wait and see if the Lynk & Co 01 EM-P can replicate the success of its fuel-driven predecessor.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.