Polestar is now a standalone brand from Volvo, but both share Geely as a parent company. That means Polestar has a lot of freedom to create its brand. However, its stunning new 600-hp Polestar 1 hybrid coupe won't be offered in every country. The automaker has just announced that the US, China, Germany, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands are the initial launch markets. These are the countries where Polestar will open what it calls Polestar Space, "an environment where customers can physically interact with the brand."

These spaces are scheduled to open in the middle of 2019. But why were these specific countries chosen and not, say, the UK or Australia? Because Polestar based its decision on initial customer demand, and those markets show the most promise. The Polestar 1, like all future models, will be offered with a subscription service model. It's pretty simple: no-deposit, all-inclusive monthly payments that covers insurance, depreciation, collection and delivery for servicing, and numerous on-demand benefits. Polestar 1 production is limited to just 500 units per year, so it's not like we're going to be seeing tons of them around. But remember, the Polestar 1 is just the beginning for the brand; Polestars 2 through 4 are very much in the works.

But unlike the Polestar 1 hybrid coupe, these later models will all be pure electrics. The goal, obviously, is to give Tesla a run for its money. We also think this subscription service idea is a pretty good one. It may work very well for some, especially those so-called "early adapters." Let's face it, the auto industry is changing and new ideas need to be explored. It's cool to see Polestar doing just that.