Volvo just shared details on the Polestar 1, the first model from their new performance electric brand.
The Polestar 1 is a plug-in hybrid Grand Tourer Coupé with a range of 150 kilometers (93 miles) using only its available electric power. That gives the vehicle the record for longest fully electric range amongst available hybrid cars.
"Polestar 1 is the first car to carry the Polestar on the bonnet. A beautiful GT with amazing technology packed into it – a great start for our new Polestar brand," Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar, said in the press release announcing the Polestar 1.
Volvo claims this will be the only hybrid released under the Polestar brand, with all future vehicles expected to be fully electric. According to Ingenlath, this is in keeping with the "brand vision of being the new standalone electric performance brand."
Next up for the brand is the Polestar 2. Production on that vehicle is expected to begin in 2019, and Volvo sees it serving as a direct competitor to Tesla's Model 3. They even directly pointed out this competition with Elon Musk's EV company in the press release, saying, "[The Polestar 2] will be a mid-sized BEV, joining the competition around the Tesla Model 3." The Polestar 3 all-electric SUV will follow.
Competition in the electric vehicle market will hopefully bring about innovations that benefit consumers. Tesla more or less owns the market at this point, but as more options become available, companies are going to have to provide more than novelty to break new ground.
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