AFTER TEN YEARS OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH FOLLOWING A CHINESE TAKEOVER, COULD VOLVO BE READY TO BE A BIG PLAYER AT LAST?
In 2011, Volvo committed to have every model either hybrid or full electric by 2019. With the creation of the Polestar range, they will also have a car to rival the market leading Tesla’s.
After first developing a cross platform drivetrain, Volvo used it to base their engine options on. So far, they have a turbo inline 4 cylinder with a 10.5kwh battery and a turbo 3 cylinder which will run with both a 9 kwh battery in the smaller hybrids and as a top up with a larger battery in the mid-sized hybrids.
In all cases, the cars will run on electric only for city driving.
Volvo confirms production of the Polestar 2 electric saloon
After the amazing launch of the near-600bhp Polestar 1 coupe, which even at £135,000 has taken over 500 confirmed orders, Polestar surprised the market with it mid-size saloon. To be priced at £30,000 to £50,000 and with a range of up to 350 miles, the Polestar 2 is going to be a real thorn in the side of the Tesla 3.