Polestar has released the first images of the car emerging from its validation prototype production line ahead of full-scale production starting in 2019.
The carbon fiber composite, 592-horsepower, all-wheel-drive hybrid coupe will go on sale later that year, adding to the burgeoning line of electric performance cars on the market.
At this early stage, the hand-built cars will undergo final testing before full-scale production begins at the company’s factory in Chengdu, China.Responsibilities include crash testing, weather testing, road evaluation and fine-tuning, and the Gothenburg prototype plant will produce 34 cars.
At €155,000 (£135,000), the Polestar 1 is around £10,000 more than luxury GT rivals such as the Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe and just £20,000 less than the Bentley Continental GT.These big names might make the Swede look very expensive, but the way it extracts supercar-like power is a little more complicated than a simple turbocharged internal combustion engine, as is its carbon construction.
The electrical components of the Polestar 1 hybrid system consist of two electric motors that drive the rear axle via a planetary gear set.This enables the two electric motors to draw energy from the 34kwh battery and produce 218bhp of torque vectoring on their own.The system also integrates an electric starter motor, giving the Polestar 1 a pure electric range of 100 miles, more than four times that of the BMW i8.
Another 374-horsepower is a 2.0-liter twin-supercharged four-cylinder petrol that drives the front wheels through an eight-speed transmission.The combination of turbo, supercharging and electric power produces 592bhp and 737lb ft of torque.Polestar has yet to cite benchmark figures, but expect a 0-60 mph time of closer to 4 seconds.
Built on the SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) platform that underpins the current larger Volvo cars, the Polestar 1 has a small footprint and is 650mm shorter than the S90 sedan – 320mm shorter wheelbase and 200mm shorter rear body – comparable to the Porsche 911 Match length.Despite its SPA origins, almost 50% of the platform is unique to the Polestar 1, including the carbon fiber butterfly that connects the floor to the rear platform.
Compared to the S90, the torsional stiffness has been increased by 45% and the weight is reduced by 230kg, thanks to the body shell, which is mainly made of carbon fiber and has a weight distribution of 48:52 front:rear.However, when you only consider the battery and electric motor at 230kg, the dieting effort seems a bit futile.
Sleek design, the Polestar 1′s Volvo DNA is evident in the GT’s exterior, and those who remember the Volvo Concept Coupe from the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show will surely be familiar with its shape.While the Polestar 1 looks very Volvo-looking, it will never be labelled that way, or rather it will never be sold as an S90 coupe with the electrified drivetrain removed.
Beneath the lightweight carbon fiber body is an adaptive suspension system developed by Ohlins called Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi).A development of the Swedish company’s electronic damping technology, electronic valves are located inside the dampers and constantly monitor driver input and road conditions to adjust damping rates accordingly.If the driver wishes, they can also change the damper settings in the car through configurable driver modes.
Polestar also approached a third-party supplier for the brakes, and Akebono developed a set of six-piston calipers and 400mm discs for the Polestar 1.Torque vectoring on the rear axle, a first for the Volvo Group, is also installed.
500 examples of the Polestar 1 will be produced per year, all of which will be left-hand drive due to the relatively small annual production and the cost of designing a car for the left- and right-hand market.However, it is still available in the UK.
Upcoming Polestar 2 and 3 models will offer a left and right drive option when they go on sale in early 2020.The Polestar 1 will be followed by the Polestar 2 – the Tesla Model 3 comparable to a battery electric vehicle (BEV) – the Polestar 3 is a battery-powered high-performance SUV comparable to the Model Tesla X.All three models will be built at the new production facility in Chengdu, China.
Technically, you won’t own your Polestar and you won’t buy it from a traditional dealer.Instead, you will specify and order your car online, then lease it for two to three years with no deposit and fixed monthly fee.If you need an SUV that’s bigger, smaller or suitable for a specific journey, this fee will include insurance and maintenance as well as access to Volvo’s wider range of cars and accessories, any costs will be added to your monthly invoice.
However, for those who still appreciate that accessible way of buying a car, Polestar will open 80 Polestar Spaces in key retail areas around the world, allowing customers to order their cars in a more traditional way.
Due to its subscription-based sales structure, Polestar did not disclose the price of the Polestar 1, nor did it release monthly figures, but Polestar COO Jonathan Goodman said the car would cost around 130,000 euros if sold the traditional way.
Polestar wants to be a leader in electrification and will play a major role in Volvo’s plan to produce 1 million electric cars by 2025, with all new Volvo and Polestar cars launched after 2019 being electric or plug-in hybrids .Polestar will continue to design existing Volvo models, which will be sold through Volvo dealers as “designed by Polestar” vehicles.
“Polestar started two years ago when we presented the Concept Coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show”, explains Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar.”We looked at that car and knew we had to build it, but also saw it as an opportunity to do something different.” Polestar will build the most powerful vehicle in China, and now any day will begin to build Polestar in China The new plant is expected to be completed within 12 months, with the first Polestar 1 due 12 months later.With 100 employees and a five-figure production capacity, Ingenlath and Goodman have no small task ahead.
Post time: Feb-22-2022
