For many years Volvo was a byword for boring, but these days the Swedish auto firm is speeding into the future with a new Polestar brand it hopes will challenge the mighty Tesla.
Starting off with the Polestar 1 hybrid, which goes on sale in 2019, Volvo says the second edition will be a fully electric design intended to compete with the Tesla Model 3.
Further on down the line, the Polestar 3 will be a fully-electric SUV that’s likely to go head-to-head with the Tesla Model X.
The initial Polestar 1 will be limited to 500 cars per year, each of which will have an electric driving range of 93 miles. Volvo asserts that beats any hybrid car currently on the road.
The gas-hybrid powertrain will provide a total of 600 horsepower. In electric mode two electric motors will drive the back wheels, providing 218bhp of the total.
The four cylinder gasoline engine will drive the front wheels and make up the rest of the horsepower.
All electrified by 2019
Although the Polestar 1 will be built in China and financed by the firm’s parent copanyn Zhejiang Geely Holding, the vehicle will share half of its parts with the company’s S90 sedan.
Volvo’s Sensis infotainment system will also be on board, while there’s also an Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension system that will enable drivers to alter the suspension settings from inside the car.
The company has already pledged that, from 2019, all of its new cars will be hybrid or electric.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
