Photo: Polestar
Last year, Volvo (or rather its owners at Geely) decided to cut off its performance division from the main company and launch it as a separate entity focused on alternative means of propulsion.
It was a bold decision considering the Polestar name has long been associated with models that go faster than their non-Polestar lookalikes, a trait that doesn't seem to bode well with electric propulsion.
The first model of the newly created brand, the Polestar 1, quickly shooed away any worries that its products might not meet the required performance levels to be worthy of the name. Granted, the sporty coupe uses a hybrid powertrain, but it puts out 600 hp and no fewer than 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft). With two electric motors driving the rear wheels and a 2.0-liter turbo doing the same for the front ones, the Polestar 1 also comes with all-wheel-drive, meaning it should be both quick and agile.
However, the Polestar 1 will act as a flagship model of sorts and will only be built in 500 units each year. That means it'll be more of an image vector than an actual source of income, provided Polestar doesn't slap an astronomical price tag on it.
But if everybody's lips are sealed about how much a Polestar 1 is going to go for, not the same can be said about the company's second model called, obviously, "2." According to the Brits at AutoExpress, the mid-sized sedan - Volvo and Polestar's first full battery-powered model - will sell for €40,000 (about $50,000) and should hit the still non-existent Polestar showrooms in 2020.
Not much is known about the model other than its approximate size and the fact its development is all but complete. The same can be said about the third model - yes, the "3" - which is definitely going to be an all-electric SUV, probably based on Volvo's XC60. This one should follow the sedan one year later, maintaining the company's one model per year cadence (1 - 2019, 2 - 2020, 3 - 2021).
The Polestar 1 and 3 will be assembled at Geely's plant in Chengdu, China, while the sedan's birthplace is still a mystery. With a plan of 50,000 units a year, it's clear the 2 will be the company's bread and butter, even though we shouldn't underestimate the market's apetite for SUVs. Especially since Polestar's has been described as "low and aerodynamic."
The first model of the newly created brand, the Polestar 1, quickly shooed away any worries that its products might not meet the required performance levels to be worthy of the name. Granted, the sporty coupe uses a hybrid powertrain, but it puts out 600 hp and no fewer than 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft). With two electric motors driving the rear wheels and a 2.0-liter turbo doing the same for the front ones, the Polestar 1 also comes with all-wheel-drive, meaning it should be both quick and agile.
However, the Polestar 1 will act as a flagship model of sorts and will only be built in 500 units each year. That means it'll be more of an image vector than an actual source of income, provided Polestar doesn't slap an astronomical price tag on it.
But if everybody's lips are sealed about how much a Polestar 1 is going to go for, not the same can be said about the company's second model called, obviously, "2." According to the Brits at AutoExpress, the mid-sized sedan - Volvo and Polestar's first full battery-powered model - will sell for €40,000 (about $50,000) and should hit the still non-existent Polestar showrooms in 2020.
Not much is known about the model other than its approximate size and the fact its development is all but complete. The same can be said about the third model - yes, the "3" - which is definitely going to be an all-electric SUV, probably based on Volvo's XC60. This one should follow the sedan one year later, maintaining the company's one model per year cadence (1 - 2019, 2 - 2020, 3 - 2021).
The Polestar 1 and 3 will be assembled at Geely's plant in Chengdu, China, while the sedan's birthplace is still a mystery. With a plan of 50,000 units a year, it's clear the 2 will be the company's bread and butter, even though we shouldn't underestimate the market's apetite for SUVs. Especially since Polestar's has been described as "low and aerodynamic."
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