00:00Lincoln Co was launched in Europe in 2021, based very much on our subscription model,
00:07basically meaning that the customer can rent the car and return it with one month's notice.
00:13We have now decided since a year back that we need to add other sales channels to the subscription,
00:18namely going into retail.
00:20So we are currently appointing retailers around Europe and of course in Italy
00:24to help us sell cars on the local markets around the country.
00:30This in order to attract a wider audience.
00:33I mean, B2B or business-to-business is still the vast majority of sales within Europe and also in Italy
00:40and of course that is a market we want to attract in order to grow our volumes.
00:46Another strong point for the brand when we entered Europe was that we only had one model in two colors
00:51and one equipment level.
00:53That was very different when we did it because we really wanted to make it easier for customers
00:59to understand our products and not worry about single options.
01:03They knew that they've got the Lincoln Co.
01:04It will be fully equipped with all the equipment you require.
01:10We have also changed that a little bit but not totally to where many others are.
01:15We have decided to add a few more colors to our program range
01:19and also add two trim levels, what we call a core and a more.
01:23But already the core is a well-equipped specified car.
01:28In addition to that, we have decided and actually executed the launch of three cars.
01:34We did upgrade the 01 late last year.
01:37So that's as a totally new drivetrain and a totally new infotainment system in the vehicle.
01:43Later in the year, we launched here in Milano the 02, the beautiful car here next to me,
01:49which is the first electric vehicle for the brand in Europe.
01:53Both these cars are available to buy now.
01:56Then also at the end of February, we announced the 08, which is our next product coming into Europe.
02:04This is a D-segment SUV with a long-range hybrid being the first car in Europe
02:10offering 200 kilometers on pure electric range coupled with fast charging.
02:16Coming to Europe, as mentioned, we did focus very much on what we call subscription.
02:22Linked to that, we also have a car sharing function in the cars,
02:25meaning that you as a driver can actually open it up for other people in the community
02:30to borrow or rent the car from you when you don't use it.
02:34This is done totally digitally, either from the screen in the car or from the app in your telephone,
02:41basically allowing another person to rent it on a price that you as a customer set,
02:46and then you enter the car with a digital key that you would have in your phone.
02:51We are still, to my knowledge, the most advanced in Europe with this kind of functionality,
02:57and we see more and more that customers do pick it up.
03:01We have on a European level some 4,000 customers that regularly share their car
03:07and regularly means that they do it at least twice a month and see that there's an opportunity
03:12to get some extra income, but also to make sure that the cars are used while otherwise they would have
03:19been standing still.
03:20Design of vehicles, I think, is very important in terms of having a clear design language
03:25and we really start to shape that at Lincoln Co.
03:28We have the very branded front lights with the two double lights going up on the hood,
03:34and as we see on the rear on this car, we start to get a very solid design language
03:38in terms of having a crossbar and two vertical lights on each side.
03:43You will see that on this car, you see it somewhat on the 01 and definitely on the 08.
03:48Also on the side of the cars, we have a very clear kick in the design, in the rear of
03:56the car,
03:57which is becoming a clear sign of a Lincoln Co.
03:59So that's obviously a very important aspect of a vehicle,
04:03especially for a newcomer coming into the market that you have a recognisable face on the streets.
04:10Technology is also very important,
04:13and I think the new technology we have put into the plug-in hybrids is one example of it.
04:20A conventional plug-in hybrid, or how plug-in hybrids actually were invented,
04:24was basically you had a petrol engine, you put in an electric motor, a battery, and a cord,
04:30and there you go, but basically based on a conventional petrol engine.
04:35Our new technology that we have in the 01 and definitely also in the new 08
04:41is that they are actually born as plug-in hybrid.
04:45The overall user experience in our vehicles is also updated with updated 01,
04:51and that will actually carry over or is carry over to the 02 and the 08.
04:56We have invested a lot in processing capacity.
05:00Some of the feedback we got, which we also see that other OEMs get,
05:03is the start-up sequence and so on takes a bit long in the cars.
05:09Therefore, we have put in basically twice the capacity of the processor
05:13and a much speedier infotainment system in the car,
05:18which means that when you start up the car now,
05:21you put the car in reverse, you get the rear-view camera on instantly,
05:27and it's a much quicker response in the system than what we had in the previous version.
05:32In addition, we have worked a lot with the user experience of the screens
05:35to make them more logical, more understandable and easier to use for the customer.
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