What Automotive Mechanics Can Learn from Volvo’s Electric Performance Vehicle Polestar 1
When it comes to designing a hybrid vehicle with high electric performance standards, Polestar—an offshoot of Volvo—has taken up the charge. The brand competes with companies like Tesla and Daimler, pushing the limits of current technology. Polestar isn’t necessarily aiming for high speeds and intense acceleration, though. Rather, it’s focussing on things like handling, safety, and range. Mechanics will surely be impressed by what they’ll see when they look under the hood of its first high-end electric performance hybrid vehicle, the Polestar 1.
The Polestar 1 Electric Performance Hybrid Has Enough Power to Impress Mechanics
The Polestar 1 should not be underestimated. The vehicle has a 2L in-line, 4-cylinder engine that is both supercharged and turbocharged. That engine alone puts out a total of 336 horsepower with 273 lb-ft of torque, but that’s not all the power the Polestar 1 exhibits. This car also has 2 electric motors attached to the rear axles to give the Polestar 1 another 218 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque.
Add in the Crank ISG, or integrated starter generator, and you have an additional 46 horsepower and 111 lb-ft of torque. After combining the power output of all three, the Polestar 1 has a total of 600 horsepower with 738 lb-ft of torque. The Polestar 1 also has something called planetary gear sets, in addition to the electric motors. What these gear sets do is allow for torque vectoring, which—as an automotive mechanic knows—can help improve handling and acceleration when rounding tight corners. We know the aim of Polestar isn’t to emphasize speed, but the Polestar 1 is estimated to go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3 seconds, with a top speed of 250 km/h—pretty impressive for a hybrid.
Check it out in this short clip:
Automotive Mechanics Can Appreciate the Polestar 1’s Electric Power Range and Battery
Getting down to brass tacks, the Polestar 1 has three battery stacks, with one located in the wind tunnel, and two more in the back of the vehicle. Combined, these three battery stacks provide at total of 34 kWh of electric power. Polestar also views its positioning of the batteries as being ideal for weight, which helps with acceleration and handling.
Given the power output of the 3 batteries, the Polestar 1 has a range of 150 km. While that’s not nearly as far as Tesla’s Model S 100D, which sits at 539 km, don’t forget it’s a distance this vehicle can go on an electric charge alone. Along with the Polestar 1’s gas powered engine, the vehicle could possible travel much further. However, there’s still no news on charging times just yet.
Grads of Automotive Mechanic Courses Will Love the Polestar 1’s Suspension
Graduates of automotive mechanic courses might enjoy the Polestar 1’s state-of-the-art suspension system and brakes. The Polestar 1 has both an Ohlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi) and double wishbone font and integral link rear suspensions.
The front double wishbone suspension is designed to attach to all of the vehicle’s wheels via transverse links, and can counterbalance some of the effects of engine torque on the Polestar’s steering. Torque steer isn’t fun, and can sometimes cause a car to drift to one side of the road whenever it’s travelling at high acceleration. The CESi is also quite sophisticated, allowing the suspension to adjust to suit road conditions and the needs of the driver. The Polestar 1 is just one example of the many innovations in auto manufacturing today.
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