Polestar electric car factory underway

Building of the Polestar Production Centre has started in Chengdu, China.

Volvo Cars’ electrification brand’s first model, the Polestar 1 hybrid, will be produced there, followed by pure electric models.

The centre is due for completion by mid-2018 to be ready to start tooling installation and pre-production testing.

It will be the most environmentally-responsible car factory in China, and one of the most efficient in the world, Polestar says. It’s aiming for gold status in the globally-recognised Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ratings.

The Polestar 1 is a grand touring coupé with a 600hp electric performance hybrid powertrain that also offers 150km of pure electric range. Polestar is targeting up to 500 units annually.

A customer experience centre is included in the build, staffed by product experts. A customer test track is also within the campus.

“Following the successful launch of the new Polestar brand in October, construction of the new Polestar Production Centre is the next step in turning our plans into reality,” Polestar chief executive officer Thomas Ingenlath says.