CHENGDU: Polestar has announced that construction of its new plant has started here, where its first model, the Polestar 1, will be produced.
The plant is due for completion by mid-2018 to be ready to start tooling installation and pre-production testing.
This follows the announcement of the new Polestar brand on Oct 17, and continues the momentum built from the launch.
Polestar said the factory, designed by architect Snöhetta from Norway, will be the most environmentally-responsible car factory in China, and one of the most efficient in the world, with a target of Gold status in the globally-recognised LEED ratings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
The Polestar 1, a grand touring coupé with a 600-hp hybrid powertrain, offers 150km of pure electric range - the longest pure electric distance of any hybrid car in the world. Polestar is targeting to build a maximum of 500 units per year.
The plant will also include a customer experience centre, staffed by product experts, as well as a customer test track constructed within the premises to enable potential customers to evaluate the car to the extremes not possible on public roads.
