Photo: Polestar
As Polestar gears up to roll out the 2 electric sedan to the entire world, the 1 plug-in hybrid grand tourer is now in production in China. The Chengdu factory has been completed on schedule, and the first customer deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2019 for the 2020 model year.
Known as the Polestar Production Center, the facility was conceived to achieve the gold status in the LEED ratings. That’s short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, an eco-friendly approach to building and operating a factory. Located in the heart of China’s manufacturing base, the factory was designed by the peeps at Snøhetta.
“Here in Chengdu we are not only manufacturing a premium hybrid-electric performance car,” said Thomas Ingenlath. “We have also created an inspirational manufacturing environment, a great place to work and visit. It truly reflects the Polestar brand,” concluded the chief executive officer of Volvo’s electrification and performance division.
Turning our focus onto the vehicle, the Polestar 1 boasts no fewer than 600 horsepower and 1,000 Nm of torque from a 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine, two electric motors, and an ISG. Under the New European Driving Cycle, customers can expect 150 kilometers or 93 miles of all-electric range from a capacity of 34 kWh arranged in three battery stacks. The WLTP range hasn’t been published yet.
As far as plug-in hybrids are concerned, nothing comes close to the Polestar 1 in more ways than one. Planetary gears enable torque vectoring, and the all-wheel-drive layout translates to incredible performance in a straight line and when exiting a corner. Inspiration for the limited-edition model comes from the Volvo Concept Coupe presented in Frankfurt in the fall of 2013.
A total of 1,500 examples of the breed are planned to be built over a three-year production cycle, and the demand for early slots is a testament to how desirable this car is. Pricing? Make that $155,000 in the United States and the same figure in euros for the Old Continent, before options.
“Here in Chengdu we are not only manufacturing a premium hybrid-electric performance car,” said Thomas Ingenlath. “We have also created an inspirational manufacturing environment, a great place to work and visit. It truly reflects the Polestar brand,” concluded the chief executive officer of Volvo’s electrification and performance division.
Turning our focus onto the vehicle, the Polestar 1 boasts no fewer than 600 horsepower and 1,000 Nm of torque from a 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine, two electric motors, and an ISG. Under the New European Driving Cycle, customers can expect 150 kilometers or 93 miles of all-electric range from a capacity of 34 kWh arranged in three battery stacks. The WLTP range hasn’t been published yet.
As far as plug-in hybrids are concerned, nothing comes close to the Polestar 1 in more ways than one. Planetary gears enable torque vectoring, and the all-wheel-drive layout translates to incredible performance in a straight line and when exiting a corner. Inspiration for the limited-edition model comes from the Volvo Concept Coupe presented in Frankfurt in the fall of 2013.
A total of 1,500 examples of the breed are planned to be built over a three-year production cycle, and the demand for early slots is a testament to how desirable this car is. Pricing? Make that $155,000 in the United States and the same figure in euros for the Old Continent, before options.
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