As an electric performance hybrid, the car can travel up to 150km on pure electric power alone - the longest full-electric range of any hybrid car on the market. In combination with its four-cylinder Volvo Drive-E engine, the Polestar 1 delivers 448kW and 1000Nm of torque, placing the car within the performance car segment.
Thomas Ingenlath, chief executive officer of Polestar, says: "Polestar 1 is the first car to carry the Polestar badge on the bonnet. A beautiful GT with amazing technology packed into it - a great start for our new Polestar brand. All our future cars will feature a fully electric drivetrain, delivering on our brand vision of being the new standalone electric performance brand".
Polestar 1 will be the halo model for the future Polestar brand. It is a two-door, 2+2 seater Grand Tourer Coupé with an 'Electric Performance Hybrid' drivetrain. A maximum of 500 cars per year will be built. All cars will be offered on a subscription basis.
The car measures 4.5 metres in length compared to the 5.15 metres of the Volvo S90. This involved removing 320mm from the wheelbase and another 200mm in the rear.
As another first for the group, the major body parts of the Polestar 1 are made from carbon fibre. This lightweight material, more commonly found in supercars, gives the car three significant advantages. Firstly a substantial body weight reduction of 230kg and secondly, an increase in torsional stiffness of 45%, from 22 Nmm-2 to 32 Nmm-2. And thirdly, a lower centre of gravity. Reducing the weight of the upper body panels by using lightweight carbon fibre lowers the centre of gravity for the Polestar 1 and results in better handling, performance and drivability on an open and flowing road.
"Most electric cars are fast - that's a product of the attributes of an electric motor. However, for Polestar, performance is far more holistic than just straight-line speed. It's about acceleration, of course, but it's also about cornering, braking, suspension control, chassis feedback and steering feel. This is what Polestar calls progressive performance," concludes Ingenlath.
