Volvo's Polestar Debuts Its First High-Performance Hybrid

PESCADERO (KPIX 5) -- It's one of the very first of its kind on the road in 2020: the Polestar 1 is a hybrid supercar that produces 620 horsepower, has two electric motors, and its body is made of carbon fiber. It is the first car from the Volvo Car Group's new electric performance brand, Polestar.

"You get all the safety and comfort and consumer confidence that you would have the Volvo brand, but we push it forward in the new era of electrification with the Polestar 1," said Polestar spokesperson JP Canton.

KPIX 5's Betty Yu got the rare chance to test drive the Polestar 1 along Highway 1 near Pescadero State Beach. It has the longest pure electric range of any hybrid in the world at 77 miles.

The car harnesses a lot of power and was as fun to drive as it looks. Only 500 cars will be produced in its first year, and model year 2020 cars are already sold out. The Polestar 1 costs $155,000 all in.

Polestar says 10-15% of its customers are from the Bay Area.

"It's definitely folks with a performance mentality, a technology-focused mentality and that also plays in well with the Bay Area mix of orders," said Canton. "But also we're finding people who just want a slightly different alternative."

Polestar also teased the Precept on Tuesday, its electric, four-door of the future that takes sustainability very seriously. Last year, KPIX got the exclusive look at the Polestar 2 in San Francisco. It is the company's upcoming fully electric car designed to compete with the Tesla Model 3.

"Ultimately these will give people a strong option outside of Tesla. Right now, if you want a high-performance long range EV, you pretty much only have one choice, but with companies like Polestar and Porsche coming to market and Audi as well, there are certainly some other options coming to market, which is definitely good because choice is good," said Tim Stevens, Editor-in-Chief of CNET's Roadshow.

Stevens says right now hybrids are a good way to introduce people to the electric lifestyle.

Polestar has designed, built and moved into a new headquarters in Sweden and has completed construction of the Polestar factory building in Chengdu, China.

This summer, Polestar plans to open its first Bay Area showroom.