The New Polestones 01 Electric SUV is an Extended Range EV With a 693 Mile Max Range
Polestones 01 is a revolutionary new electric SUV designed by legendary Italian automaker Pininfarina and produced by Xiaomi-related Rox Motor and Beijing Automobile Works. The SUV is the latest domestic market SUV to enter production in China and aims to compete with the Li Auto L8 and L9, which currently dominates the Chinese domestic SUV market.
With that staid, it’s important to state a little background on this emerging company. Polestones is an NEV (New Energy Vehicle) startup in China owned by Rox Motor with its vehicles manufactured by a contracting firm known as Beijing Automobile Works (BAW). This may sound very convoluted to how business is done in the Western world, but this is the Chinese model. BAW is currently mass-producing the Polestones 01 electric SUV for the domestic Chinese market.
Let’s delve into this new SUV and look at its design and performance. The Polestones 01 is a full-size SUV with exterior design features akin to the Range Rover or the newly unveiled Toyota Highlander EV. It’s available in either a six- or seven-seater version with two wheelbase lengths and stays close in capacity and design to its competitor the Li Auto L8 and L9.
The powertrain on the Polestones 01 is a 1.5-liter turbo-charged four paired with dual electric motors generating 469 horsepower and 546 lb-ft of torque and a 56 kWh battery with an electric-only range of 146 miles. Like other recent Chinese EV’s, the Polestones 01 uses a small ICE motor to charge the batteries and greatly extends its driving range up to 693 miles. One remarkable feature of the Polestones 01 is a small kitchenette in the tailgate with an induction cooktop and utensils. We surmise the manufacturer geared this SUV and equipped it with a small kitchenette for long-duration road travel.
Pricing for the new Polestar 01 will range between ($47,800 – $49,200 USD) which is not bad considering the price of other EV’s currently on the market domestically and in North America. Deliveries commenced in November of 2023 and is expected to continue well into 2024.
