The new Polestar One is finally out, with the
company releasing all the details on their new halo model during a special
event in Shanghai. Set to become a halo model for the brand, the new Polestar
One is a two-door, 2+2 seat Gran Tourer that’s powered by a powerful ‘Electric
Performance Hybrid’ powertrain churning out 600 hp and 1000 Nm of
torque.
The new Polestar One is based on
Volvo’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) but the standalone performance
brand claims that around 50 percent of their latest creation is new and
bespoke, created by their own engineers.
This happened because Polestar wants the One to be a
true performance coupe, giving it things like an all-new Öhlins Continuously
Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi) and a full carbon-fiber bodywork that
not only is lighter but also improves torsional stiffness by 45 percent.
Polestar 1's rear axle is powered by two electric
motors that also enable torque vectoring for maximum grip and speed while cornering.
A four-cylinder 2.0-liter Drive-E engine powers the front axle. The two rear
electric motors produce 218 hp, allowing the new performance model to run on
electricity alone for 150 km, which is the longest all-electric range
of any hybrid model in the market. Weight distribution is 48:52 front to rear
while the brakes come from Akebono and feature six-piston calipers and 400 mm
discs.
As for when we are going to see it launching into
the market, the company says that production will begin in mid-2019 at a new,
state-of-the-art Polestar Production Center in Chengdu, China. The production
facility is currently under construction and is expected to be complete in
mid-2018.
Polestar will adopt a subscription sales model
instead of the traditional one, with cars to be ordered 100% online and offered
on a two- or three-year subscription basis. The subscription will have no
deposit and will be all-inclusive, meaning delivery, maintenance, insurance and
the option to use other Polestar or Volvo models for a flat monthly fee.
Polestar will also offer an online concierge service via a mobile app.
Polestar also announced that its future models will
be all-electric ones, starting with the Polestar 2 which will enter production
in 2019 as the first battery-electric model from the Volvo Car Group. The
company even names the Tesla Model 3 as the main rival for their upcoming
mid-sized EV. The initial Polestar product roll-out will be completed with the
launch of the Polestar 3, a mid-sized all-electric SUV.
Customers can pre-order the new Polestar 1 as of
now, as the company is accepting “expressions of interest” immediately.
