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Volvo Cars' performance electric car brand, Polestar, unveiled a four-seat coupe in lightweight carbon fiber as its first model Tuesday, adding to competition in a market dominated until now by Tesla.
The hybrid Polestar 1 promises a range of 150 kilometers (95 miles) on a charge, with a gasoline-powered engine to supplement that if needed. It is due to be produced at a factory in western China and released in 2019.
Volvo, owned since 2010 by Chinese automaker Geely Holding, announced in July that it would make only electric and hybrid vehicles starting in 2019.
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The company says it will follow up with an all-electric model in 2019 and an SUV in 2021.
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Polestar expects China, where the government is promoting electric car development, to account for about one-third of global sales, according to Ingenlath.China is the world's biggest market for electrics and hybrids. It accounted for 40 percent of last year's global demand with sales of 336,000 units—more than double U.S. sales of 159,620.
Will China's transportation sector leap-frog Europe's and America's?
(Score: 4, Informative) by bob_super on Thursday October 19 2017, @04:55AM (2 children)
As much as it pains me to praise an American car maker, my coworker who bought a Volt a few months back is soon going to force it into ICE mode to make sure that original tank of gas doesn't go bad.
He's been doing his 15-mile each way commute for free, by charging at the office. That includes half a dozen hills at 50-60MPH, and the last one is pretty steep.
From what I know, most plug-in hybrid get you similar results.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:27PM (1 child)
Then you don't know much. Read the link I posted.
The Volt is better than many hybrids, (claimed 53 miles on electric alone). They do this by deep discharging their battery pack in preference to starting the engine - which is exactly the opposite of most hybrids.
But basically your friend only ever drives 15 miles between charges, half of which he gets at the largess of his employer.
I will bet dollars to donuts that car's engine starts on any steep long hill. Just about all of them do. Hybrids are a con job.
The best thing he could do with that Volt is trade it in for a Bolt.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Thursday October 19 2017, @08:34PM
Funny how reality can be questioned these days.
He does the round-trip, 30 miles, not 15, because he only charges -for free- at the company. No deep-discharge required, since he uses about half of the battery's capacity.
How would you explain driving all those uphill miles, during which you are certain the engine must be running, without using any gas? Must amount to at least a few hundred miles by now.