Last call for Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid flagship, as brand prepares for more EVs

The Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe is entering its final year of production. Final build slots for Polestar’s first production model are now available, the automaker announced via press release Thursday.

Polestar only planned to build 1,500 cars over three years—with the United States getting about 125 each year. So The Polestar 1 has simply reached the ended of its lifecycle, as Polestar shifts focus to all-electric cars.

Based on the Volvo Concept Coupe from Polestar’s parent brand, the car features a carbon-fiber body and plug-in hybrid powertrain consisting of a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and a pair of electric motors. Total system output is quoted at 619 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.

A huge (for a PHEV) 34-kilowatt-hour battery pack affords an EPA-rated 52 miles of electric range, and makes the Polestar 1 eligible for the maximum $7,500 federal EV tax credit. The car itself has a base price of $155,000.

2020 Polestar 1 first drive

2020 Polestar 1 first drive

In a first drive, we found the Polestar 1 to be unparalleled—at once a comfortable grand-tourer and a sharp-edged sports coupe. But with its six-figure price tag, it was never meant to be a volume seller. Polestar also plans to sell only all-electric cars going forward.

The first of those all-electric models—the Polestar 2—launched in the U.S. late last year. With a base price of $61,200 for the Launch Edition version, the Polestar 2 compares closely with the Tesla Model 3—especially the performance side.

Polestar confirmed long ago that the follow-up to the 2 will be a crossover, likely called the Polestar 3.

Also waiting in the wings is a production version of the Precept concept, which was first shown at the 2020 Beijing auto show. That model will likely take over the Polestar 1’s role as brand flagship, but with an all-electric powertrain, and styling not derived from Polestar parent Volvo.