Polestar Provides Preview Of Pre-Production SUV
Polestar is following up the sneak peek of its upcoming 5 luxury sedan with something a little more accessible (statistically speaking) to you and me. It’s called the 3, and it will be the first Volvo Group car to use the Geely SEA architecture that underpins the high-end Zeekr in China. Not a bad thing, by any stretch!
As you can probably tell, the crossover/SUV-type architecture of the new Polestar 3 was designed with a specific market in mind — and it’s been a while since I’ve been able to say this — the United States. “We will build in America for Americans,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “Polestar 3 is planned to be launched in 2022 as a premium electric performance SUV that will define the look of SUVs in the electric age. It will also be the first Polestar vehicle to be built in America” (presumably at Volvo’s South Carolina plant).
The benefits of US production will include shorter wait times to fulfill notoriously impatient American customer orders, but the decision also reduces the environment impact of shipping cars around the world. It will also, claims Polestar, allow the 3 to be offered at a competitive price point, and, while there’s no official word on styling, you can expect it to look quite a lot like the Polestar 5. “The design language of that car is something that you can and should expect in our future cars, starting with the Polestar 3,” design boss Max Missoni told Autocar. “The futuristic Precept concept will have a heavy influence.”
Enough from me, though. You can read the official Polestar press release below, then let us know what you think of the upcoming electric SUV in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Polestar provides next glimpse of 3 and reaffirms growth plans
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Launching in 2022, 3 will redefine SUVs for the electric age and will be made in US
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The company is on track for approx. 29,000 global sales in 2021
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The Precept concept (5) debuts on US soil in New York City; embarks on national tour
GOTHENBURG, Sweden – Polestar, the pure play, premium electric car company, has released a second teaser image of the forthcoming 3 electric performance SUV, which is set to launch in 2022. Polestar 3 is the company’s first SUV and will be its first vehicle to be built in the US, with production set to take place in Charleston, South Carolina.
This news follows the September announcement of Polestar’s intention to list on Nasdaq in connection with its proposed business combination with Gores Guggenheim, Inc. (Nasdaq: GGPI, GGPIW, and GGPIU), which is expected to close in the first half of 2022.
“We will build in America for Americans,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “Polestar 3 is planned to be launched in 2022 as a premium electric performance SUV that will define the look of SUVs in the electric age. It will also be the first Polestar vehicle to be built in America.”
Thomas Ingenlath hosted investors and press at a series of events in New York to discuss the company’s vision, brand and growth plans. The audience learned that Polestar 3 is intended to be one of the most climate-responsible cars ever made and will in time offer autonomous highway piloting powered by the best-in-class LiDAR sensor from Luminar and centralized NVIDIA computing power.
The premium SUV market is the fastest growing segment in the US automotive industry and is expected to be one of the most rapid to adopt fully electric vehicles.
Precept, the company’s manifesto concept car that previews the future of its design, technology and sustainability, also made its US debut in New York City. Precept now embarks on a national tour, visiting Polestar retail locations throughout the US into the new year.
Thomas Ingenlath told audiences he believes there is a fundamental difference between Polestar and many other electric car companies. “We are not a virtual company waiting to build factories and sell cars; we are an actual company already building and selling cars around the world. Our two award-winning cars are on the road in 14 markets globally and we expect our global sales volume to reach around 29,000 vehicles this year.” Ingenlath also underlined the company’s established manufacturing and sales capability, expressing that the company is planning to launch a new car every year for the next three years, starting with 3, and plans to increase its presence to at least 30 global markets by the end of 2023.
Expanding presence in these new markets, the arrival of three new cars, and further advances in its existing markets, mean that Polestar plans to grow ten-fold from global sales of around 29,000 in 2021 to 290,000 by 2025. “From here on in, (we are) all about growth,” concludes Thomas Ingenlath.
Polestar 3 will be built at the Volvo Cars plant in Charleston, South Carolina. Volvo Cars is a large shareholder in Polestar, allowing Polestar to benefit from the Swedish company’s world leading safety technologies, but also generate cost efficiencies through financial and industrial synergies.
Source | Images: Polestar Cars.
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