Volvo’s Polestar rev---eals its
Polestar, Volvo Car Group’s performance brand, has revealed its future as a new standalone electric performance brand.
Polestar confirmed plans for its first three models, a new purpose-built production facility in China and a customerfocused route to market that will set a new industry benchmark for performance vehicles.
Polestar also unveiled the 600 hp Polestar 1, the company’s first car, which is set to roll off the production line in mid2019.
Polestar’s technology and product offering benefits from synergies and economies of scale enabled by the Volvo Car Group, helping Polestar to accelerate design, development and production processes at a fraction of the time it takes other new entrants.
The Polestar 1 will form a halo for the future Polestar brand.
The Polestar 1 is a two-door, 2+2 seat Grand Tourer Coupe with an ‘Electric Performance Hybrid’ drivetrain.
An electric car supported by an internal combustion engine, it has a range of 150 km on pure electric power alone – the longest full electric range of any hybrid car on the market. Its output of 600 hp places the car firmly in the performance car segment. The Polestar 1 is based upon Volvo’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) but approximately 50 per cent is new and bespoke, created by Polestar’s engineers.
To reinforce its dynamic driving characteristics, Polestar 1 benefits from a host of new technologies, all aimed at making it a true driver’s car.
Polestar 1 is the world’s first car to be fitted with the all-new class-leading Ohlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi) advanced chassis technology. A carbon fibre body reduces bodyweight and improves torsional stiffness by 45 per cent, as well as lowering the cars’ centre of gravity.
Additionally, Polestar 1 uses a double electric rear axle which enables torque vectoring. This supports the driver with precise acceleration on each wheel to keep the maximum road grip and maintain speed while cornering.