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Back in the spring, I spent some time with two different Volvo 60 series models - the S60 Momentum and V60 Cross Country. I came away impressed with the work Volvo had done, picking Cross Country as my favorite. A couple months back, another 60 series model rolled up for a week long evaluation. This one is very different. Unlike most performance wagons that grab a bullhorn and shout for attention, the V60 Polestar goes for a more sedate approach. From afar, it looks like your standard V60. Get closer and you begin to see the small changes such as the lowered ride height, 20-inch grey wheels that cover up the massive gold brake calipers, and the two Polestar badges. Only changes for the interior are the Polestar logo embossed on the front headrests and gold seatbelts. Under the hood is Volvo's T8 powertrain. This is the 2.0L twin-charged four-cylinder paired with an electric motor on the rear axle to produce a total output of 415 horsepower and 494 pound-feet of torque. This setup also provides all-wheel drive. It is quite shocking (pardon the pun) as to how fast the V60 Polestar goes. Step on the accelerator and it feels like you have engaged warp drive as the two powertrains work together. But there were times where the gas engine and electric motor didn't seem to be on the same page. There would be the odd delay or surging of the gas engine when driving around town in the hybrid mode. Hopefully, this is something that could be addressed with an update to the engine software. The other party trick of the V60 Polestar is the ability to run on electric power alone. This comes from an 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack underneath the cargo floor. Volvo claims a range of 22 miles on electric power alone, but I was able to stretch it out to around 23 to 25 miles throughout the week. Recharging took around eight to eleven hours if the battery was near or fully depleted. For the week, I saw an MPGe average of 52.1. With the battery drained, I saw the average fall to around 29.1 MPG. Volvo turned to suspension supplier Öhlins to develop something bespoke for the V60 Polestar. What was delivered is a special set of dampers that are manually adjusted by gold-colored aluminum knobs. You'll easily find the ones in the front by opening the hood - sitting on top of the shock towers. The ones in the back are slightly harder to find as they're located above the wheels in the wheel housing. This is something that feels like more of a talking point when showing off the wagon, not something you want to mess with unless you are knowledgeable on damper tuning. The V60 Polestar may be the best handling Volvo I have driven in quite some time. The Öhlins dampers do make a difference as they minimize body roll. But the dampers cannot fully hide the massive weight of the Polestar - tipping the scales at 4,522 pounds. This makes the wagon not feel as nimble. In terms of ride quality, the V60 Polestar does well on smooth roads. Take it on a road with a litany of bumps and potholes and the ride becomes very choppy. This is where I wished Volvo had gone for a computer-controlled damper system to make the ride slightly smoother. A price tag of over $68,000 is a bit much for a Volvo, but you need to take into consideration that you're getting everything as standard. That includes the premium B&O audio system, full LED headlights, Nappa leather upholstery, heated/ventilated front seats, Pilot Assist, and more. The only option on our tester is the metallic paint. Despite the price tag and rough ride, I'm happy to see Volvo venturing out and doing some wild as the V60 Polestar. This vehicle is a prime example of having your cake and eating it by delivering excellent performance and efficiency in one package. The fact that this package is in a wagon shows this for someone who doesn't want to follow the Joneses and get a performance crossover. Would this be the 60 Series model I would buy? No, that honor falls to the V60 Cross Country I drove in the early spring. But the Polestar runs a close second. Disclaimer: Volvo Provided the V60 Polestar, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2020 Make: Volvo Model: V60 Trim: T8 Polestar Engineered Engine: 2.0L Twincharged DOHC 16-Valve Four-Cylinder, Two AC Electric Motors Driveline: Eight-Speed Automatic, All-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 328 (gas), 46 (electric motor front), 87 (electric motor rear), 415 (combined) Torque @ RPM: 317 (gas), 111 (electric motor front), 177 (electric motor rear), 494 (combined) Fuel Economy: Combined MPGe/Gas - 69/30 Curb Weight: 4,522 lbs Location of Manufacture: Gothenburg, Sweden Base Price: $67,300 As Tested Price: $68,940 (Includes $995.00 Destination Charge) Options: Metallic Paint - $645.00 View full article

It was just a few months ago that Volvo announced their in-house performance arm, Polestar would be spun off to become a standalone brand. It would focus on building high-performance electric vehicles, though as we reported in the rumorpile back in the summer, their first model would be a plug-in hybrid coupe. That rumor was right on the money as the brand unveiled the Polestar 1 at an event in Shanghai. The Polestar 1 looks to be the production model of the Volvo Concept Coupe shown a few years back. The front end is very reminiscent of recent Volvo models with a concave grille and Thor's Hammer headlights. The rear end echoes the Concept Coupe with C-Shaped taillights and short trunk lid. With an overall length of 177.2-inches, the Polestar 1 is about six inches shorter than the BMW 4-Series Coupe. Inside the coupe, it is again like Volvo's 90 Series models with a large touchscreen, steering wheel, and even the crystal gearshift. With all of this similarity to other Volvo models, you can't help but wonder if there is anything original to the Polestar 1. The brand says 50 percent of the coupe's parts are specific to the P1. It begins with the body where the majority of panels are made out of carbon fiber, saving 506 pounds, The hybrid powertrain is comprised of a 2.0L Drive-E engine driving the front axle and two electric motors on the rear axle. Total output is rated at 600 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. Polestar says when the 1 is put into its 'Pure' mode (EV mode), it can travel up to 93 miles. Quick note, when the Polestar 1 is in pure mode, the electric motors offer a total output of 218 horsepower. A 34-kWh provides the electric juice. No information was given on 0-60 mph, top speed, or recharging time. The suspension features the Öhlins’ Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi). This system monitors the road and driver inputs, adjust damping within 2 milliseconds to deliver optimal handling. CESi also allows for driver-selected modes, though details on this are being kept under wraps. Bringing the Polestar 1 to a stop are a set of Akebono brakes with six-piston calipers and large 15.7-inch discs. “The Polestar 1 is a Performance Electric Hybrid, but with the longest pure electric range of any hybrid car in the world, we consider it an electric car with support from an internal combustion engine. All future cars from Polestar will be Electric Performance Vehicles but the Polestar 1 bridges today’s technology with the future, offering the perfect drivetrain for a Grand Touring Coupé that's likely to be used over longer distances as well as shorter, faster, enjoyable journeys,” said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. Polestar 1 will be built a new assembly plant in Chengdu, China that will be finished in mid-2018. Production of the coupe will follow a year later. Polestar plans on build 500 1s every year that you can through a new online-only ordering process. You cannot buy one outright however. A buyer will have to choose either a two or three-year subscription. But that subscription includes insurance and maintence. The order books for the Polestar 1 are open right now. Polestar also announced two forthcoming models called the 2 and 3. Both models will be full electric vehicles. Polestar 2 will be a midsize sedan that will compete with the Tesla Model 3, and the Polestar 3 will be an SUV. Production of the Polestar 2 will begin towards the end of 2019. No date was given as to when production of the Polestar 3 would start. Source: Polestar Press Release is on Page 2 Polestar unveils its first car – the Polestar 1 – and reveals its vision to be the new electric performance brand Polestar, Volvo Car Group’s performance brand, has today revealed its future as a new standalone electric performance brand. Polestar has confirmed the company’s first three models, a new purpose-built production facility in China and a new,customer-focussed route to market with all-inclusive subscription-based services that will set a new industry benchmark for performance car buyers. The company’s first car, Polestar 1, will start production in mid-2019. 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 600hp and 1,000Nm of torque, placing the car firmly within the performance car segment. Polestar will act as a technology spearhead for the Volvo Car Group, bringing new technology and performance attributes to market. At the same time, Polestar will benefit from technological and engineering synergies within Volvo Cars and significant economies of scale as a result. These synergies will allow Polestar to accelerate the design, development and building of its electrified performance cars. Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar said; “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. All future cars from Polestar will feature a fully electric drivetrain, delivering on our brand vision of being the new standalone electric performance brand". Pure, Progressive, Performance - a portfolio of Polestar models The first car from Polestar, named Polestar 1, will form a halo for the future Polestar brand. The Polestar 1 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, with customers benefitting from the convenience of a single, all-inclusive payment that can be topped up by additional on-demand services if required. Showcasing Polestar’s technology spearhead role, the Polestar 1 is based upon Volvo’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA) but approximately 50% is new and bespoke, created by Polestar’s engineers. Polestar 1 measures 4.5m in length compared with the 5.15m of the S90. This involved removing 320mm from the wheelbase and another 200mm in the rear to create the car’s powerful, sporty proportions. A further example of the technology spearhead role is an all-new double electric motor system driving both rear wheels, connected together by planetary gears. Producing 218hp, plus the support of an Integrated Starter Generator, the Polestar 1 in Pure mode, is a rear wheel drive Electric performance car with up to 150km of range. This distance ensures that many customers will only ever use the car in full electric mode. For those needing increased range, or wanting to exploit the full performance attributes of the Polestar 1, the double electric rear motors combine with a Volvo Drive-E two-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, powering the front wheels. In Power mode, the Polestar 1 delivers a total of 600hp and 1,000Nm of torque. Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar, continued; “The Polestar 1 is a Performance Electric Hybrid, but with the longest pure electric range of any hybrid car in the world, we consider it an electric car with support from an internal combustion engine. All future cars from Polestar will be Electric Performance Vehicles but the Polestar 1 bridges today’s technology with the future, offering the perfect drivetrain for a Grand Touring Coupé that's likely to be used over longer distances as well as shorter, faster, enjoyable journeys”. When the driver enters the first corner in their Polestar 1, the car further differentiates itself from its electric car competitors. This is what Polestar defines as Progressive Performance. Polestar’s experience of fitting Öhlins suspension to all its previous performance road cars has been harnessed, with Polestar 1 fitted with a state-of-the-art chassis, including the all-new Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi) - the world’s first car to be fitted with this advanced chassis technology. Each Öhlins shock absorber is fitted with a new electronic valve, installed for the first time on any road car in conjunction with Öhlins shock absorbers. The valve constantly monitors the driver inputs and road surface conditions, reacting in two milliseconds, to immediately change the ride characteristics to the prevailing demands. For the first time on an Öhlins suspension, the driver can also make changes to the suspension settings within the car, constantly able to tailor the chassis damping and ride quality to their own requirements. Complementing the suspension technology is a powerful braking system to provide the driver with total confidence in all driving situations. Manufactured by Akebono, the 6-piston brake callipers and 400-millimetre discs provide maximum stopping capability. Weight distribution of 48F:52R also ensures the car delivers class-leading handling. The Polestar 1 also brings other new technologies to the market for the Group. Thanks to the double electric rear axle’s planetary gears, torque vectoring features for the first time, separating the power from each of the electric rear motors to drive the car through corners, rather than convention traction control systems that brake the inner rear wheel, slowing the car in bends. 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 by building in lighter Carbon Fibre. Secondly, an increase in torsional stiffness of 45%, from 22Nmm-2 to 32Nmm-2. And additionally, 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,” said Thomas Ingenlath. Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 to follow. All future Polestar cars will feature a fully electric powertrain. Polestar 2 will start production later in 2019 and will be the first battery electric vehicle (BEV) from the Volvo Car Group. Polestar 2 will be a mid-sized fully-electric car that will join the competition around the Tesla Model 3. Polestar 2 is currently in the engineering phase and will start production before the end of 2019, delivering higher volumes than Polestar 1. Polestar 3 is in the finishing stages of design and will be a larger SUV-style BEV, creating a modern expression of electric performance and driving dynamics, and sitting between Polestar 1 and Polestar 2 in terms of volume and pricing. “Being part of the Volvo Car Group enables Polestar to design, develop and engineer our cars using the processes of a well-established car company but at the same time, enables us to experiment with new technology in lower volume cars outside the mainstream segments. This pace of development means as we announce the future of the company, we can also already confirm that a portfolio of three Polestar cars will be on sale within the next four year timescale,” continued Thomas Ingenlath. A contemporary approach for modern performance customers. Polestar brings a fresh approach to taking vehicles to market, removing all the hassle and allowing the customer to focus on what’s important: the driving experience. At the heart of the Polestar customer offer is a monthly subscription payment. This all-inclusive, no deposit, flat monthly payment ensures that the customer need never concern themselves with the inconvenience or cost of depreciation, insurance and maintenance and all Polestars will be offered on this basis. The subscription also includes pick-up and delivery servicing where Polestar contacts the customer to arrange a convenient time for scheduled maintenance. It will also consists of a number of car rental days and access to a range of concierge services. Polestar also recognises that its customers can’t always plan their future motoring requirements. For this reason, Polestar on-demand services are available. Simply ordered online or through a Polestar app and added to the one monthly invoice, further reducing the “hassle” traditionally associated with car usage. As an example, a customer needs the short-term use of a roof box for a forthcoming skiing holiday. At a time and location specified by the owner, Polestar will supply, fit and subsequently remove the roof box, just adding a small incremental usage charge to their monthly invoice. Polestar offers extended concierge services, tailored to the requirements of the most demanding customers. Included is services such as the extended use of a larger Volvo car domestically and internationally for when the driver needs additional load capacity during long family holidays, for example. Other features include the ability to book a car wash and valet at a time and location convenient to the customer. Polestar’s own Phone-as-Key technology is the main enabler of its concierge services. Using an easy-to-use app on Apple or Android devices, the driver can gain access to the car without using a key if required. More importantly, the app allows the owner to virtually pass a key to a third-party concierge or driver to facilitate the collection of the car to re-charge it, service it and more, without the owner ever leaving their home or office. The subscription will be for a fixed term of two or three years. At the end of the contract, the customer simply returns the car, or Polestar collects it and delivers their next Polestar experience. Polestar will then refurbish the vehicle and prepare it for a secondary subscription as a high-quality pre-owned Polestar car. “Our vision is that the Polestar subscription model and services that we will offer will define the Polestar brand as much as our cars will. Services that exceed the needs, desires and expectations of the premium performance car customer are at the heart of Polestar, removing the inconvenience of ownership and allowing customers to purely concentrate on the pleasure of driving a Polestar car,” said Jonathan Goodman, Chief Operating Officer of Polestar. Access Polestar wherever, whenever and however. Polestar makes the entire user experience as convenient and effortless as possible, catering to the customer’s desired choice of interaction channel (digital or physical). All features, from test drives, subscription offers and on demand services are ordered online. The customer never needs to visit a Polestar environment if they don’t want to. Polestar also recognises that as a new entrant into the electrified automotive segment, customers still want to physically engage with the brand. The digital approach will therefore be complemented by the creation of a network of stand-alone retail Spaces around the world. These Spaces will be staffed by Product experts who can assist in demonstrating and explaining the Polestar car’s content and carrying out test drives should the customer wish to do so. Polestar facilities will not be located within an existing Volvo retailer showroom. The target date for the opening of the first Polestar Space is Q1-2019, followed by a ramp up as volumes grow. Polestar’s customers will have the confidence of knowing all aftersales servicing work will be carried out by selected Volvo retailers, giving the Polestar customer the peace of mind that their car will be looked after by a fully trained and professional network, but without the need for the customer to ever visit the Volvo retailer thanks to pick up and delivery servicing The order books for the new Polestar 1 open on 17 October 2017, with Polestar able to take expressions of interest from prospective customers immediately. Polestar Production Centre Polestar cars will be built in China. To facilitate this, Volvo Cars has formed a joint venture with two companies within its parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding. This JV is capitalised with 5B RMB (640M Euro) of equity to support Polestar’s development. Polestar remains a subsidiary of Volvo Car Group and will be fully consolidated into Volvo Car Group. The new Polestar 1 will be built in a state-of-the-art, purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China. Currently under construction and due for completion in mid-2018, the new Polestar Production Centre has been carefully created together with international award-winning architects, Snöhetta from Norway. The new Polestar Production Centre will also house one of the first Polestar Spaces, with a customer test track constructed within the campus to enable potential customers to evaluate the car to extremes not possible on public roads. When complete, the new Polestar Production Centre will be the most environmentally-responsible car factory in China, and one of the most efficient in the world, with a target of Gold status in the globally-recognised LEED ratings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). “Our new Polestar Production Centre is no ordinary car factory,” said Jonathan Goodman, Chief Operating Officer of Polestar. “It is designed for the low volume production of Polestar 1 but is also being designed to cater for the larger volumes of the future. The Production Centre has also been designed to act as a strong representation of our brand as well as a state-of-the-art production facility”. View full article

When Polestar announced their first model, the 1, they said it would be available through a subscription for either two or three years. But it seems that you might be able to buy one outright if you have the cash. "I think it would be very difficult to me to turn around to a customer who walks in with a 'hundred-and-x thousand dollars' and says, 'I want to buy one.' I think I'm not particularly convinced that I'll be turning them away and saying, 'Absolutely not, sir or madam. You have to have it on subscription.' I think subscription is going to be a key part of it," said Jonathan Goodman, chief operating officer of Polestar to Roadshow. "I can't see us being a hundred-percent subscription, but that'll be the main offer we go through. If someone wants to buy a car, we need to look at the possibility of doing that, as well." If one was to buy a Polestar 1, how much would they be looking at? A statement from World Media Wire (marketing agency working with Polestar) said, "The target retail price of the Polestar 1, if purchased outright, is 1.3M SEK (130k Euro)." So we're looking at a price tag of $153,000. Source: Roadshow View full article

Polestar is beginning to drop hints on their next model, the 2 which is expected to debut sometime next year. Autocar spoke with Polestar COO Jonathan Goodman at this weekend's Goodwood Festival of Speed. Goodman said the Polestar 2 will be the brand's entry level model and compete directly with the Tesla Model 3. "That will represent the lower ‘bookend’ of our showroom range and, for now, it should give us as much access to the volume end of the EV market as we need," said Goodman. Autocar says the 2's design will closely follow the 40.2 concept shown a couple years back. The report also says that the 2 will have up to 400 horsepower and a max range of 350 miles. Pricing is expected to begin around £30,000 (about $39,690). Goodman also talked about the possible dangers of designing electric vehicles to look futuristic or quirky considering how much the global market for these vehicles is expected to grow. “The global electric car market was worth four million units in 2017, but it’s quite widely expected to be worth 29m units by 2025. EV owners will come from all walks of life. So it’s a mistake to assume that, because the cars are electric, you have to make them quirky or futuristic," explained Goodman. "Other brands may be doing that, but if we’re looking at a market worth 30m cars within seven years, it isn’t going to be niche, it’s going to be mainstream. So you just design a great-looking car – not one with a big blue flash down the side.” Source: Autocar View full article

While Polestar isn't expected to begin production on their first model, the 600 horsepower Polestar 1 coupe until 2019, they will soon be opening the order books for certain markets. Today, Polestar announced the launch markets for the 1 coupe. They include, United States China Germany The Netherlands Sweden The company explained the reason for picking these markets first was due in part to the level of interest expressed by possible buyers in those countries. Since October, buyers have been able to register their interest via the Polestar site. The plan is to change these over to orders when Polestar opens the order books early next year. These markets will be the first to also get Polestar "Spaces," basically a showroom for the 1 and future models. Polestar will be selling the 1 through a subscription similar to Volvo's Care by Volvo program where you pay a monthly fee that includes the vehicle, maintenance, insurance and other services. Polestar is considering letting buyers purchase the car outright, given they have the cash. Source: Polestar Press Release is on Page 2 Polestar announces initial launch markets for Polestar 1 as the new subscription model resonates with global customers Polestar, the new Electric Performance brand of Volvo Cars, has announced the initial launch markets for its first car, the Polestar 1. This follows Polestar’s successful brand launch in October that’s seen customers line up for the new Polestar 1 subscription, and expressions of interest in the Polestar 1 already outnumber early production slots, instantly affirming the car with performance and electric car aficionados alike. The initial launch markets where Polestar will open a Polestar Space – an environment where customers can physically interact with the brand - will be the U.S.A., China, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands. These Polestar Spaces are expected to be opened in the middle of 2019 and the countries have been selected, in part, due to the initial customer demand in those markets. More countries will be introduced across the world and confirmed at a later date. During the brand’s launch day in October, one customer per minute was registering their interest in being one of the first to receive the Polestar 1 using an all-new subscription model. Expressions of interest are made through www.polestar.com and these will be converted to vehicle orders when the formal order books for the Polestar 1 open in early 2018. The Polestar 1 and all future Polestar cars will be offered using the new subscription model. The no-deposit, all-inclusive monthly payment delivers hassle-free usage and covers insurance, depreciation, collection and delivery for inclusive servicing, and various on-demand benefits as-and-when required. The Polestar 1, the first car with the Polestar logo on the bonnet, is a 2+2 Grand Touring Coupé with a 600hp Electric Performance Hybrid powertrain yet with the ability to travel 150kms on pure electric power alone - the longest range on electric power of any hybrid in the world. Production of the Polestar 1 will start in mid-2019 in the new state-of-the-art, purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China, where construction has already started. View full article

Volvo's performance arm, Polestar will be spun off into its own separate brand that will focus on high-performance electric vehicles. The announcement made today confirms a rumorpile report from last week about Polestar working on a lineup of high-performance electric vehicles. “Polestar will be a credible competitor in the emerging global market for high performance electrified cars. With Polestar, we are able to offer electrified cars to the world’s most demanding, progressive drivers in all market segments,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars. The brand will share “technological and engineering” efforts with Volvo. Polestar will continue to offer upgrades for Volvo cars, under the new Polestar Engineered label. Plans for future products will be announced sometime in the fall. Source: Volvo Press Release is on Page 2 Polestar announces new management team to develop electrified performance brand for Volvo Cars Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has announced that Polestar, its performance car arm, is to become a new separately-branded electrified global high performance car company, marking the latest stage in Volvo’s ongoing transformation. In order to drive the development of the brand, Volvo Cars also announced today that Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo, will assume the position of Chief Executive Officer at Polestar. Mr Ingenlath has been the inspiration behind Volvo’s award winning design renaissance in recent years. “Thomas heading up the Polestar organisation shows our commitment to establishing a truly differentiated stand-alone brand within the Volvo Car Group,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars. Mr Ingenlath will be joined at Polestar by Jonathan Goodman, who will become Chief Operating Officer. Mr Goodman moves from his position as Senior Vice President Corporate Communication at Volvo Cars. “With 25 years of commercial experience in the automotive industry, Jonathan is ideally placed to provide operational experience alongside Thomas’s vision, building on the experienced management team that will drive the Polestar brand forwards” said Mr Samuelsson. “Polestar will be a credible competitor in the emerging global market for high performance electrified cars. With Polestar, we are able to offer electrified cars to the world’s most demanding, progressive drivers in all market segments.” Volvo Cars acquired 100 per cent of Polestar Performance in July 2015, having worked together in motorsport since 1996. In the future, Polestar will offer Polestar branded cars that will no longer carry a Volvo logo, as well as optimisation packages for Volvo’s range of cars under the Polestar Engineered brand. Polestar will enjoy specific technological and engineering synergies with Volvo Cars and benefit from significant economies of scale as a result of its connection to Volvo. These synergies will allow it to design, develop and build world beating electrified high performance cars. Mr Ingenlath said: “I am really excited to take up the challenge of establishing this exciting brand, developing a fabulous portfolio of bespoke products and channelling the passion we have throughout the Polestar team. The next chapter in Polestar’s history is just beginning.” Polestar will make further announcements about its products, industrialization and commercial plans in the autumn. View full article

Polestar is best known for building fast Volvos, but they could strike out on their own with building performance electric vehicles. Auto Express has learned that Polestar will use Volvo's SPA Scalable Product Architecture) and CMA (Compact Modular Architecture) platforms for their new vehicles. The first one, which is expected to be shown sometime this year will use SPA. According to a source, Geely (parent company of Volvo and Polestar) wants to create a line-up of brands that could rival the likes the of Volkswagen Group. Polestar is being positioned as the performance brand and Geely wants them to expand their lineup along the lines of AMG - building bespoke models along with high-performance models. Volvo will hold down the premium segment, while Lynk & Co and Geely will cover the mainstream. There also Geely purchasing a majority stake into Lotus (who knows where it will fit into this possible hierarchy if approved). Source: Auto Express View full article

Almost a month ago, Volvo made the announcement that it will be spinning off Polestar into its own automaker focusing on high-performance electric vehicles. At the time, plans on products would be announced this fall. But Autocar has learned from a source about one of those projects. The first model is expected to be a coupe, sporting a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 600 horsepower. While the original announcement said the new brand would focus on electric vehicles, sources at Volvo and Polestar say the brand will also focus on high-performance plug-in hybrid powertrains. As we have reported previously, Polestar will share “technological and engineering” efforts with Volvo. This likely means Polestar's new models will use Volvo's modular platforms. Autocar says the coupe could debut this fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Source: Autocar View full article

Taking the place of the Genesis G70 this week in the C&G Detroit Bureau is the 2020 Volvo V60 T8 Polestar. Aside from the long name, this Volvo gives us our first chance to check out the T8 powertrain. In Volvo terms, this is a 2.0L four-cylinder that comes super and turbocharged, and boasts two electric motors. This gives a total of 415 horsepower and 494 pound-feet of torque. It also gives the wagon an electric only range of 22 miles - something I'll be checking out once I get the battery fully charged. Pricing on this wagon comes in at an as-tested price of $68,940. Some first impressions below, This powertrain pulls the V60 along like a train. Being a Polestar Engineered model, the V60 comes with adjustable Ohlins Dampers and a stiffer front strut bar. I can't comfirm its handling characteristics yet, but can say ride quality is a bit on the rough side. Gold seatbelts. I'll have a bit more to talk about as the week goes on with the V60 Polestar, so stay tuned. Also, drop a question or two on this speedy Swede. View full article

According to an interview done by Steve Fowler at Auto Express UK, Thierry Bollore the new CEO of Jaguar Land Rover is considering taking Jaguar pure EV to be a Tesla / Polestar competitor and would start with the new Baby Jaguar concept they built. This is a Tesla 3 sized luxury 4 door sedan. This comes after so many stories about the Flagship XJ EV being postponed as they focus on ICE auto's. Jaguar has confirmed that due to the success of their i-Pace CUV, they are moving forward with delivery of the XJ EV in 2021. Castle Bromwich will be home to all electric auto's that they make including the Road biased Range Rover EV. This comes after sales of the Jaguar XE dropped 28% in 2019. As such, the board with new CEO leadership feels it needs to aggressively move to an all new replacement of the XE with this all electric baby Jaguar. Jaguar management is also closely watching Polestar and especially their Polestar 2 EV. The all new MLA EV platform would allow replacements of the E-Pace and F-Pace to be a priority once the XE and XJ are launched. Jaguar according to the story is on pace to launch plug-in hybrids of the E & F Pace that will get a facelift along with a move to a Hybrid as a stop gap measure till they are replaced with EVs. There are also talks of a smaller electric Jaguar as Jaguar has signed letters of agreement to work with BMW on a electric version of the BMW 1 & 2 series that will go electric and this would bring in a much smaller footprint Jaguar below the XE and i-Pace. A big question is that the F-Type sports car while being considered a must by some executives on the Board could fall to the history bin as it only sold 6,000 in the last financial year globally making it the second worst performing auto in their portfolio behind the XJ which will come out next year in the dramatic clean sheet design. https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/jaguar/353006/new-baby-electric-jaguar-take-tesla-model-3

Polestar has opened their factory in Chengdu, China to begin production of the Polestar 1. The factory was designed to achieve a Gold status LEED certification. The Polestar 1 is a luxury hybrid coupe that boasts over 600 horsepower and 1,000 nm (738 lb-ft) of torque and an electric only range of 93 miles. It is a limited production run of 500 vehicles per year and most of the early allocations are sold out. One other announcement came with the factory press release. Polestar has filed for and received their World Manufacturing Identifier, basically their character in the VIN that identifies them. This means that Polestar manufactured vehicles will not have a Volvo VIN but a Polestar VIN instead. Polestar will still apply their performance technology know-how to higher performance Volvos. View full article