Polestar 1 Goes Official With 600 HP And 93-Mile Electric Range

The hybrid coupe featuring a carbon fiber body will be built in China from mid-2019.

Just minutes after dropping a final teaser, Polestar has taken the virtual wraps off its first production car. A truly gorgeous two-door coupe, the Polestar 1 takes after the 2013 Volvo Concept Coupe as far as the design is concerned and is partially based on the SPA platform underpinning the big “90” series cars and the latest XC60. Half of the hardware is derived from Volvo’s SPA while the other half represents a joint effort between Polestar and Volvo specifically for this new product.

As a consequence, this is more than just a coupe version of the S90 Sedan, especially if we take into account the four-seater Polestar 1 has an ace up its sleeve when it comes down to the powertrain. The potent hybrid setup provides a massive 600 horsepower and 737 pound-feet (1,000 Newton-meters) of torque.

In addition, the unspecified battery pack has enough juice for an impressive 93 miles (150 kilometers), prompting Polestar to say the sporty coupe has the biggest electric range of any production hybrid out there. The body is entirely made from carbon fiber to shave off weight and at the same time improve torsional stiffness by 45 percent. At the back, it utilizes an electric axle with torque vectoring capabilities for more precise handling and improved power delivery to the road.

Performance numbers have not been released, but it goes without saying these will trump those of the Volvo S90 in the range-topping T8 specification. As a refresher, the hybridized sedan needs 5.2 seconds for the 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) sprint en route to a top speed of 155 mph (250 kph). With a massive 200 hp and 265 lb-ft (360 Nm) more than the sedan, the Polestar 1 Coupe should prove to be substantially quicker and faster.

We will have to patiently wait to see it on the roads as the company says production is scheduled to commence by the middle of 2019 at a brand new factory in Chengdu, China that will be completed by mid-2018. Later in 2019, a smaller model called Polestar 2 to fight the Tesla Model 3 will be added to the lineup and it will serve as the very first fully electric vehicle launched by the Volvo Car Group. Further down the line, a Polestar 3 SUV will eventually hit the market.

Between 2019 and 2021, a total of 5 EVs will be introduced by the group, with some carrying Polestar’s badge while others will have the Volvo logo. In order to put Polestar on the sports car map, Volvo and its parent company Geely have announced plans to invest 640 million euros (about $752M) in Polestar.

The company is already accepting orders for the coupe and will sell it online with a two- or three-year subscription plan. Dedicated showrooms, called "Polestar Spaces," are in the works.

Source: Polestar

Gallery: 2020 Polestar 1