Using Ericsson’s “connected vehicle” cloud service, Lynk & Co, a new car brand launched in 2016, demonstrated a car sharing application at the recent Shanghai auto show. Using a digital key and smartphone, a Lynk & Co car owner can share her or his vehicle, determining the specific times when it is available and who may borrow it.

Watch this YouTube video to see how it works.

As most cars sit unused a large percentage of the time, car sharing may create new ownership and rental models, particularly in cities or regions where ownership is expensive.

The Lynk & Co brand was launched in October 2016 by Chinese car manufacturer Geely, which also owns the Volvo brand. Their first production car, the crossover 01, will be released in China during the fall (2017). Connectivity is the theme of the brand; their cars offer a range of connected technologies to “make life easier.” Displayed on a large central screen in the vehicle, applications are permanently connected with on-board telematics to the Lynk & Co cloud, which is provided by Ericsson. This cloud-based capability opens up many possible features and services, such as car sharing.

Alain Visser, Chairman of Lynk & Co, said, “Connectivity is in Lynk & Co's DNA and is at the core of our brand's proposition. Our cars are built on a number of technology fundamentals and Ericsson is our obvious partner of choice in the development of our digital car. The digital key solution was born out of an innovative co-creation exercise, and through cloud technology we are able to offer a complete new service and functionality for our customers."