Volvo has been gearing up to launch Polestar as its own performance-oriented brand and this week, the Swedish automaker's plan is nearing fruition. Like Lexus, Acura, and Infiniti, Polestar has now received a World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI), certifying it as a stand-alone vehicle OEM. Along with this classification, Polestar has officially opened its first factory in Chengdu, China where production has already begun.

The Polestar 1 is the first of the company's two announced models, the second being the Polestar 2, an all-electric rival to the Tesla Model 3. Production has begun on schedule and the first road-legal Polestar 1 has already been built. Customer deliveries are expected to take place before the end of 2019.

Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar, comments: "Here in Chengdu we are not only manufacturing a premium hybrid-electric performance car. We have also created an inspirational manufacturing environment, a great place to work and visit. It truly reflects the Polestar brand." The Polestar Production Center is set to be one of the most environmentally friendly production facilities in China and it was built with the goal of earning Gold status in the LEED ratings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Polestar included some images of the new facility, which looks state-of-the-art. That's because it was styled by internationally renowned architecture and design company, Snøhetta, and features a customer delivery center featuring a test track and a glazed atrium with a panoramic view over the factory floor.

"Designing Polestar's first production facility has been a challenging and extremely rewarding project for us," says Snøhetta's co-founder, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen. "The innovative design of the interaction scheme aligns creative visionary processes with technical production requirements, setting a new standard for inclusive fabrication facilities."

The Chengdu facility is set to produce 500 cars per year over three years, with 1,500 examples of the Polestar 1 set to roll off the assembly line. The stunning grand tourer packs 600 horsepower from a 2.0-liter twin-charged four-cylinder mated to a hybrid system with 93 miles of electric driving range. The starting price is $155,000, or you can subscribe to the car on a monthly basis.