Besides the Smart Eye occupant monitoring system that Polestar will be installing in its Polestar 3 SUV model, the carmaker will also have enhancements and developments in its other models soon. These new features are being showcased by Google at CES 2023 in Las Vegas this weekend.
The developments include Google’s new HD map, and the roll-out of remote actions for Polestar 2. “These developments are the direct result of our strong relationship with Google and show the advantages of integrating the innovative Android Automotive OS in our cars,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s CEO.
Eventually, every carmaker adds a SUV to their range, a trend which started in the 1990s and reached the pinnacle of the car market in 2018 when even Rolls-Royce introduced a SUV it calls the Cullinan. Now Polestar, the company owned by Volvo (which is owned by the Geely Group), has finally come out with its SUV, the Polestar 3.
As Polestar produces only battery electric vehicles, the Polestar 3 is therefore powered only by electricity, no combustion engine or even hybrid option. And like other carmakers who make their SUVs in the USA because of the huge market for such vehicles, Polestar is also going to make its SUV there although production will be done in China during the first year and shift to America in 2024. Its other models are presently made in China and Sweden.
Polestar, the Swedish car company which makes and sells on battery electric vehicles (BEVs), will hold the world premiere for its next model, the Polestar 3, this October. This will be a SUV, the company’s first, and reflects the significance of the segment which is the most competitive today. Polestar will be entering one of the highest margin and growth segments in the automotive industry, particularly in the USA.
Customers can expect to order Polestar 3 in initial launch markets from the day of the premiere. Production is expected to begin in early 2023, and besides China, the model will be manufactured in the USA. This follows carmakers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW which set up factories for their first SUVs in the USA in the 1990s.
“This is a major milestone for our company, one that boosts our growth trajectory and takes us into our next phase,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s CEO. “Polestar 3 is the SUV for the electric age. Our design identity evolves with this high-end large luxury EV, with a strong, individual brand character. With this car, we bring the ‘sport’ back to the SUV, staying true to our performance roots.”
The company said that Polestar 3 will, over time, offer autonomous highway piloting powered by the best-in-class LiDAR sensor from Luminar and centralized NVIDIA computing power. At launch, it will have a dual-motor drivetrain for all-wheel drive and a large battery, with a range target of over 600 kms.
Polestar plans to launch a new model every year for the next 3 years, starting with Polestar 3. Polestar 4 is expected to follow in 2023, and it will be a smaller SUV coupe. In 2024, the Polestar 5 performance 4-door GT is expected to debut as the production evolution of Polestar Precept.
While Polestar is a recognised carmaker today, its origins were rather unusual as it started off as the name of a racing team in 1996. It gained prominence in the Swedish Touring Car Championship running Volvos and by 2015, Volvo Cars decided to take it in and give it a role involving high performance products.
With Volvo Cars being acquired by the Geely Group in 2010, Polestar also became part of the group while its racing activities have been run by Cyan Racing. Under the Geely Group, Polestar grew further and besides developing and selling electric performance cars, it offers performance hardware upgrades and engine software optimisations for Volvo models through their Polestar Engineered division.
Polestar also functions as an innovation lab for Volvo Cars, developing designs and technologies. Being part of a huge group, Polestar enjoys technological and engineering synergies and benefits from significant economies of scale as a result, as well as sharing resources. Polestar has production facilities in China, and as mentioned earlier, there will be a new factory in the USA to manufacture the new SUV model.
To date, Polestar has produced two models – the Polestar 1 which was built between 2019 and 2021 as a low-volume electric performance hybrid GT with a carbonfibre body, and the Polestar 2 which sells in larger volumes.
The company plans to increase its presence to at least 30 global markets by the end of next year. This supports its plans to grow ten-fold from global sales of approximately 29,000 in 2021 to approximately 290,000 by the end of 2025.
Polestar, the independent Swedish electric performance car brand founded by Volvo Cars and Geely Holdings, has produced two models to date – the Polestar 1, a low-volume hybrid GT; and the Polestar 2 fastback which is the company’s first fully electric, high volume car.
The Polestar 1 made its debut in 2017 and since 2019, has been built a new factory in China. After 4 years, the model’s production will end later this year as the Polestar 3 SUV makes its entry. To commemorate the end of its production life, the company has revealed a special version which will be made in 25 copies only.
The special edition will feature a bespoke matte gold exterior paint job with matching calipers and black wheels. Inside, colour-matched gold stitching gives the interior an even more unique feel.
The halo car
“It’s hard to believe that our beautiful halo car comes to the end of its production life later this year,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s CEO. “We pushed boundaries with this car, not only in terms of engineering but also in its design and execution. Polestar 1 set the tone for our brand and its genes are evident in Polestar 2 – as they will be in our future cars to come.”
Technical tour de force
A technical tour de force, the electric performance hybrid has a lightweight body made from carbonfibre reinforced polymer (CFRP), and is powered by twin rear electric motors with genuine torque vectoring. As a performance model, it is fitted with high-performance components like Akebono brakes and adjustable Ohlins dampers.
With a combined power output of 609 bhp and 1,000 Nm of torque, and a purely electric driving range claimed to be up to 124 kms – still the longest of any hybrid car in the world – the Polestar 1 is a performance car that can be driven as a full EV in daily use, doubling as a great long-distance GT at any moment.
“This car was not designed to fit into a ‘box’,” noted Ingenlath. “We didn’t design it to compete with other cars, and neither did we design it to suit a specific target customer. Polestar 1 was about pushing our own boundaries, exploring a new era for Polestar and launching the brand with a strong statement – and it’s done a great job of capturing the hearts and minds of fans, press and the lucky customers who own one.”
The journey continues with the Polestar 2
Until the Polestar 3 is launched, the Polestar 2 model (pictured below) will offer 3 variants with a combination of long- and standard range battery packs as large as 78 kWh, and dual-motor and single-motor powertrains with as much as 300 kW/408 hp and 660 Nm. It is produced at a Geely factory in China.
Besides the Polestar 3, the Precept (concept model shown above) will also go into production later on. The Precept highlights Polestar’s path for digital technology and the use of innovative sustainable materials, inside and out.
“‘Stunning. Spectacular. Cutting-edge. We’d like to see it on the road!’ – this is what the press wrote about Precept and the public said, ‘We want it’, so we decided to build it,” explained Ingenlath.
Expanding market footprint
Polestar, which is recognised as a car manufacturer, will expand its market footprint further this year with the addition of 5 new markets in the Asia-Pacific region. These markets will join 3 new and previously announced European markets, bringing Polestar’s global footprint to 18 markets by the end of the year. The new markets include South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.
Polestar has finally revealed its first ever production car to the world. Called the Polestar 1, the vehicle is a Volvo S90 based Coupe that is built upon the Swedish automaker’s Scalable Platform Architecture (SPA).
The company stated that parts sharing with its Volvo cousin has enabled it to build the Polestar 1 in record time, taking just a fraction of what usually amounts to years worth of research & development as well as testing. That said, 50% of the components used are new while the remaining half are inherited from Volvo.
Sporting similar a silhouette as the S90 sedan, Polestar has done away with Volvo’s signature chrome grille and placed an understated yet menacing louvered grille. The projector headlights with DRL’s resembling Thor’s hammer are still present but subtle tweaks have been made to the front and rear sections of teh car for better aero efficiency.
The body is made from carbon-fibre, which has enabled the improvement of torsional stiffness by 45% and lowered the car’s centre of gravity. This will result in a massive weight reduction compared to the standard Volvo meaning, that agility and nimbleness should be better too.
The car features a hybrid powertrain that brings total output to a colossal 600bhp and 1000Nm of torque. Called the Electric Performance Hybrid, the Polestar 1 is able to travel about 150km on pure electric power, making it the only hybrid vehicle currently on sale that can achieve such a feat on a single charge.
Another first, the Polestar 1 is the first car in the world that will be fitted with the Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension (CESi) advanced chassis technology. That coupled with a double electric rear axle for torque vectoring, will enable the car to remain planted while cornering at high speeds.
Marketed as a 2+2 seater grand tourer, the Polestar 1 is a concept vehicle that previews what the production version may look like when it is unveiled in mid-2019. The vehicle will be built in Polestar’s state-of-the-art production centre in Chengdu, China. Due for completion in mid-2018, the facility will be responsible for manufacturing future models from the automaker.
During the reveal, Polestar made it known that it will be launching two further models called the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3. The former will be an electric vehicle that will take on the Tesla Model 3, while the latter is poised to be an SUV styled EV.
Apart from this, the automaker is also planning on revolutionising the way we buy our cars. It will allow its vehicles to be purchased/rented online and will also introduce a substription service that will enable ownership with zero-downpayment at a steady monthly fee. In addition to that, owners can also rent alterntavie vehicles within the Volvo family.
The exact details are still a bit hazy at the moment as Polestar has yet to lay down concrete framework that will enable the public to its subscriptions service for a 2-3 year lease of its vehicles rather than opt in to an out-right purchase.
Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar said, “Polestar 1 is the first car to carry the Polestar on the bonnet. A beautiful GT with amazing technology packed into it. All future cars from Polestar will feature a fully electric drivetrain, delivering on our brand vision of being the new standalone electric performance brand.”
Despite this, Polestar will still have its brick and mortar showrooms around the globe to facilitate customers how prefer the old fashion way of buying vehicles. The order books of the Polestar 1 begins today, and Polestar says its ready to facilitate all interested parties.