Polestar Mulls Expanding Output for Limited-Edition Hybrid Coupe

High demand is causing Volvo Car Corp.’s new Polestar sub-brand to consider expanding plans for its inaugural plug-in hybrid coupe, which originally was to be limited to 1,500 units over a three-year production run.

More than 5,000 people have expressed interest in the Polestar 1 since the car was announced in October, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath tells Automotive News Europe. He says a second shift could be added to the company’s new manufacturing plant in Chengdu, China,  to accommodate the increase.

Construction of the plant is due to be completed this summer, with production of the Polestar 1 scheduled to start in mid-2019. Pre-orders for the vehicle will begin this spring. A decision on whether to increase production will be made later.  

Featuring a carbon fiber body, the lightweight rear-wheel-drive coupe will have an all-electric range of 93 miles. The car’s hybrid architecture will team two electric motors and a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine to generate a combined 592 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque.

The Polestar 1 will be followed by a pair of all-electric vehicles. The Polestar 2 midsize sedan will launch later in 2019, while the Polestar 3 large crossover/SUV will be added later. All Polestar vehicles will be sold online exclusively as two- or three-year subscriptions, which will bundle car payments, financing, insurance and maintenance costs into a single monthly fee.