I continue to expect my next automobile purchase is going to be an electric or hybrid. Cars like the Polestar suggest there will be no performance penalty for that choice.
The surprising Polestar 1 is a 592bhp four-seat hybrid GT coupé. It is such a radical break from the Volvo it is based on, that the new marquee Polestar was created for it (Volvo has spun off Polestar into a standalone performance EV brand).
Electric motors drive the rear wheels, creating 194 kw/hrs of electric power; the 2.0-liter gas engine drives the front wheels.
The Polestar 1 is due to go into production in mid-2019, and will be built at a new plant under construction in Chengdu, China. It is priced at £116,000 (about $150k). It has a carbon-fiber body (offsetting the weight of the batteries) and a range of 93 miles (150 km) before the hybrid’s gas engine kicks in.
Polestar will initially make only 500 of the two-door, 2+2 seat Grand Tourer Coupe. If demand warrants, production will ramp up in greater numbers and (expectedly) at a lower price point.
Source: Polestar
Source: Autocar
Source: Motor Trend
Source: CNET
