Polestar, the performance electric performance brand of Volvo and Geely Holdings, will add a fully electric SUV to their line-up. The new model will be the third after the Polestar 1 coupe and Polestar 2 fastback.
Simply called Polestar 3, the performance SUV will debut the new generation of electric vehicle architecture from Volvo Car Group, which has been designed from scratch for full electrification. The aerodynamic electric performance SUV will feature industry-leading connectivity features based on Google’s native Android Automotive OS infotainment system, as well as high-end, safety-focused autonomous driving features.
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The company has also chosen the US as the production base for the new SUV, at the relatively new Volvo Cars production centre in Ridgeville, South Carolina. The plant currently produces the new Volvo S60 model and the Polestar 3 will commence from 2022, together with the all-new Volvo XC90.
“Polestar 3 will be built in America, for our American customers,” says CEO of Polestar, Thomas Ingenlath. The performance electric SUV segment is constantly seeing new additions, such as the Ford Mustang Mach-e, BMW iX as well as the upcoming new-generation Porsche Macan.
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The move to manufacture in the US is also an additional USD118 million investment into the new South Carolina plant, which has now accumulated to a total investment value of over USD1.2 billion.
The manufacturing announcement also underlines Polestar’s commitment to the American retail market, which is undergoing a period of rapid expansion. Polestar will open around 25 retail ‘Spaces’ across the country this year. The Spaces offer customer conveniences such as home test drives, free pick-up and delivery servicing, and mobile service for consumers in markets still awaiting the opening of a Polestar Space.
The South Carolina facility will also be Polestar’s first out of China, where the Polestar 1 is manufactured at the Chengdu plant, while the Polestar 2 at the Luqiao plant.
To recap, the Polestar 1 is a low-volume electric performance hybrid coupe with a carbon fibre body, 609 hp, 1,000 Nm and an electric-only range of 124 km – the longest of any hybrid car in the world.
Polestar 1 Polestar 2
The Polestar 2 electric performance fastback is meanwhile a product aimed at higher sales volumes. The Polestar 2model range includes three variants with a combination of standard- and long-range batteries up to 540 km range, and dual- and single motor powertrains with as much as 408 hp and 660 Nm.
