Polestar says the car seen here is the first running Polestar 1 prototype, subjected to shakedown tests in temperatures as cold as -18°F, or -28°C.
.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }
Polestars should come with a sizeable helping of Volvo’s winter know-how, thanks to their platform kinship. But it’s not just about how the car gets going in the winter, it’s also about how it drives: The manufacturer says these tests were performed to scrutinize the car’s torque vectoring system run by its dual electric motors in the rear. Vigorous snow and ice driving should reveal any need for adjustment, as ice tracks are excellent arenas for handling tests.
Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath says the result is a driver’s car. The torque vectoring “enhances the Polestar 1’s cornering responsiveness and accuracy,” and the test drivers are “very happy with the balance of the chassis.” Prototype testing will continue for the rest of the year — to us that just sounds like the test drivers can’t get enough of hooning the 600-horsepower hybrid coupe around the Lapland backroads. The video looks like great fun.
The car itself should be available next year, mainly distributed via a subscription service and shown in Polestar’s standalone showrooms. It will be Polestar’s sole hybrid offering, as the vehicles introduced after it are to be all-electric. Initially, it was said that 1,500 units of the halo car would be built, but as thousands more prospective customers showed interest, that number may vary.
Related Video:
