Volvo's Polestar 1 is the car Tesla should be really worried about

Khodrocar - While many are getting excited about taking delivery of their Tesla Model 3s, despite once again the company being nowhere near its projected production numbers, in Shanghai this week Volvo unveiled its new 600hp Polestar 1, set to roll off the production line in mid-2019.

What was clear from the launch was that these new cars, especially the pure electric brother of the 1, the Polestar 2 coming later in 2019, pose a major threat to Tesla's share of the EV market. Indeed, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath has stated publicly that the 2 is designed to go head-to-head with the California firm's new Model 3.

Tesla should be worried, too. It may have had the jump on traditional car manufacturers with regards to commitment to battery technology over internal combustion engines (ICEs), but now those traditional manufacturers are finally getting their acts together with viable electric options such a Jaguar's I-Pace (expected to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018) and the updated, range-extended BMW i3.

So far, Tesla has seemed unconcerned with these electrified offerings from the old OEMs, as if they are still dipping their toes in the water, but Volvo is serious. It announced in July its intention to electrify all its powertrains by 2019, and these two new Polestars are a taste of things to come from the company - and a very enticing one it is, too.

Polestar is Volvo's standalone premium electric-vehicle arm, and Volvo's Chinese owner, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, has pledged to invest $755 million to develop the company. The Polestar models will be built at its new plant in the western Chinese city of Chengdu, which already has a Volvo factory.

"We want to be leaders in electrification,” Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson said at the launch event. But this isn't why Tesla should be taking note. Many car companies would trot out the same statement. The difference here is that Volvo is known for the reliability and build quality of its cars. The same cannot be said of Tesla, which has been dogged with production issues.

In October 2015 Consumer Reports stated that "Tesla's reliability doesn't match its high performance" citing problems with drivetrains, power and charging equipment, dashboard touchscreens, plus various noises, rattles and leaks.

With the Polestar 1, and in particular the 2, we will get an electric car that will hopefully not only rival Tesla for battery tech and performance, but - crucially - will be put together in the right way. You know, the way that gives you confidence when driving into a monsoon or taking a sharp corner on a mountain pass. What's more, it looks a darn sight more attractive than Tesla's efforts, which resemble the kind of vehicle normally penned by children dreaming of becoming car designers (again, evident lack of experience).

Not content with fully embracing electrification, Polestar wants to change they way we all buy our motors by selling its cars differently - mimicking how we now buy our mobile phones, in fact, through subscription plans with monthly payments and no upfront fee.

Source: wired.co.uk