Some time ago, our own contributor and video producer Kyle Conner got his hands on a Polestar 1. He did our usual 70 mph range test and a DC fast-charging curve analysis on the beauty to give us an idea of how it compares to the competition.
The Polestar 1 isn’t a vehicle we hear about very often. This is because it’s from a newly emerging brand, its production is very limited, it’s quite expensive, and it’s a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Thankfully, now you can buy the much cheaper and arguably more practical and compelling Polestar 2.
The Polestar 1 carries a starting price of $155,000. It’s a two-door plug-in hybrid in a 2+2 configuration. Sadly, Polestar only plans to make 150 copies per year for the U.S. market.
According to the EPA, this high-end grand-touring sedan can travel 52 miles on a single charge. In addition, it returns 58 MPGe with gas and electricity combined (+57kWh/100 miles). With the gas engine only, it’s rated at 26 mpg. The EPA says it requires premium fuel and will save you about $250 per year in fuel costs over the average car.
Few PHEVs offer even close to 50 miles of range. Only the discontinued Chevrolet Volt can compete with the Polestar 1’s EPA-estimated range. This is why it made perfect sense for Conner to test the Polestar 1 on the highway at 70 mph.
Conner is working through reams of video footage recorded over several months. After he tested the Polestar 1’s range, we decided that with PHEVs, it’s important to also offer a city range test. You live, you learn, and you adapt.
In the case of the Polestar 1 footage, we hadn’t yet started performing the city range test, so in this video, we just give you an idea of the battery’s range at highway speeds. Conner also tests the car’s DC fast-charging curve. He learns that it really doesn’t make any practical sense to DC fast-charge the Polestar 1.
So, how many miles will the Polestar 1 go? Conner discovers that the car is capable of about 63 to 67 miles of electric-only highway driving in good conditions, which is super impressive. Check out the video for all the details. Then, leave us a comment below.
