Polestar Starts Construction On New Plant In China

Khodrocar - Polestar has begun construction on a new plant in Chengdu, China, that will build its inaugural model, a hybrid sports coupe.

Polestar claims the new plant will be the "most environmentally-responsible car factory in China, and one of the most efficient in the world.” It’s targeting Gold status in the LEED rating system that recognizes environmentally friendly buildings. As another ambitious goal, Polestar says it will finish building the new plant in just nine months. By mid-2018, the company expects to start tooling installation and pre-production tests. The new plant should begin production in mid-2019, as we previously reported.

In addition to production operations, the facility will include a customer experience center and a customer test track. Here, potential buyers can experience the full performance of Polestar’s cars.

Polestar spun off from Volvo into its own performance EV brand recently, and a month ago it revealed the hybrid sports coupe known as Polestar 1. Along with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine that powers the front wheels, the car has an electric motor at each rear wheel. The vehicle makes 600 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, all while boasting an EV-only range of 93 miles.

As we reported earlier, Polestar only plans on making 500 copies for now. If demand proves high, the automaker said it will build more. Polestar hasn’t announced prices, but $100,000-plus is a good estimate.

After the coupe, Polestar plans a midsize electric car and an electric SUV.