The Polestar 1 is the automaker’s first fully branded automobile since Polestar was made into an independent manufacturer. The performance coupe shined with the expectation of delivering a hybrid, engaging drive when it debuted in 2017.
It was initially said that the plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) powertrain of the Polestar 1 could achieve up to 150 km (93 miles) of all-electric range (NDEC). According to the Environmental Protection Agency, that promise falls well-short of reality.
The Polestar 1 is powered by a hybrid powertrain that utilizes a supercharged and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from the Volvo XC90 T8 and matches it with two electric motors that power the rear wheels. There is a 34.0-kilowatt-hour battery.
The car comes equipped with a 34-kilowatt-hour battery.Photo courtesy of Polestar
According to the automaker, the car has a power output is 600 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque. Polestar says that the car can get to 100 km/hm off the line in 4.2 seconds.
According to EPA estimates, the car has an all-electric range of 52 miles and a total range of 470 miles. That electric range is only 55 percent of what was promised originally and is eight miles shorter than what Polestar has listed as the range on their U.S.-facing website.
Those numbers are good for 58 MPGe and 26 mpg combined out of the 15.9-gallon gas tank.
Polestar’s website currently claims the model gets 60 miles of range after initially saying it would have 93 miles of all-electric capability.Inset image courtesy of Polestar
The comparable 2020 BMW 530e has just 21 miles of all-electric range and 350 miles of overall range (12.1-gallon gas tank). It’s priced at just one-third the price of the Polestar 1. The Mercedes-Benz S560e has 19 miles of all-electric range but a 510-mile overall range (21.1-gallon gas tank). It is only 70-percent the cost of the Polestar 1.
Despite having a plug-in powertrain, the EPA estimates that the average owner of the Polestar 1 and BMW 530e will spend $500 more in fuel costs over five years compared to the average new vehicle. The average Mercedes-Benz S560e owner will spend $1,250 more.
Image courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency
The Polestar 1 is on sale for $155,000. The company will make just 1,500 units of the Polestar 1, at the rage of 500 per year for the next three years. The first deliveries are slated to take place in early 2021.
