Polestar Plots Launch Rollout

Volvo Car Corp.’s new Polestar performance unit says its first vehicle, the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe, will be sold in China, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the U.S. when the car is launched in 2019.

The countries were selected in part because of initial customer demand in those markets. Sales in other countries are expected to be added later.

The coupe and other Polestar vehicles will be sold online as two- or three-year subscriptions, which will bundle car payments, financing, insurance and maintenance costs into a single monthly fee. Buyers also will be able to make arrangements online for a test drive. In addition, a network of stand-alone “Polestar Spaces” are in the works for customers who want to see the vehicle or speak to a brand expert in person.

Polestar 1 production is due to start in mid-2019 at a new manufacturing plant in Chengdu, China. Output will be limited to 500 vehicles per year. The hybrid coupe will be followed by a pair of all-electric vehicles: the Polestar 2 midsize sedan in 2019 and Polestar 3 large crossover/SUV thereafter.