The Future is Flexible

It is perhaps a bold statement, but the age of cars might be over. With cities getting bigger and the environment at stake, we all wonder what’s next for the world when it comes to the future of travel. That’s why Gothenburg-based Lynk & Co began to investigate. “It’s just so unsustainable” CEO Alain Visser told Glamcult, when our curiosity led us to arrange an interview. “Did you know cars are only used 4% of the time anyway?”

After 30 years in the industry, Alain noted that while car models get better the industry structure has not. Ready to do something different, he looked toward the technology and sharing platforms we use today. Like streaming Spotify, using an Uber or stealing your ex’s Netflix, we’ve gotten used to a world in which we get access to things without drawbacks of ownership.

Now imagine the same goes for your car. Particularly for young generations, who need a car occasionally but don’t want high expenses or a long-lease, the sharing economy suits our lifestyles well. It signals a new dawn for travel – one which puts you and the environment first.

In Lynk & Co’s research, they found that 57% of their participants agreed “cars are over, mobility services are the future.” With the advent of technology, cars become a seamlessly shareable resource. Lynk & Co have started to create this new norm. Through a digital platform which coordinates their unique membership-based mobility concept, they’re bringing ultimate flexibility into our reach.

So how does it work? With a Lynk & Co monthly membership, you can use a car as much as you like and need with the possibility to “rent it out” to friends, family or the wider community (sharing is caring!) Don’t need the car for the full month? No problem, you can also join with the free membership, which connects you to others who offer out their car. No mobility company gives this kind of opportunity yet. Whether it’s a morning appointment, weekend mini-break or something more long term, Lynk & Co’s got you covered.

The eventual aim is to reduce the number of (standstill) cars on the road. If cars can be used more consistently, with maintenance coming from the company at no extra cost, it’s possible to downscale the heavily-polluting process of making new vehicles. It’s a pretty neat idea – one which places the environment first, and takes sustainability further than just electric cars. “It’s not about making cars and selling them,” Alain summarises. “It’s about really making an experience around mobility.”

Since Covid-19, sustainable transport has become more important than ever. We’ve seen what it’s like to reduce our collective carbon footprint. And while we don’t always want society to grind to a halt, the pandemic has taught us that there’s a better way to move forward.

Lynk & Co is a company that’s truly contemporary. They’ve given us what we want from our cars, and started to build a shared community too.

 Memberships are available now, with cars coming in April 2021. Look online or stop at their club at Rokin 75 in Amsterdam and get ready for the ride.