Polestar

Swedish electric car brand

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This article is about the car manufacturer. For the celestial body, see Pole star . For other uses, see Polestar (disambiguation)

PolestarOwnerVolvo CarsCountrySwedenIntroduced

; 19 years ago

 ( )

Previous ownersPolestar Racing (&#;)

Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC is a Swedish automotive manufacturer that produces electric vehicles. Owned by Volvo Cars, the company is headquartered in Torslanda outside Gothenburg, Sweden.[5] Polestar produces cars in several countries including China, the US, and South Korea, in facilities controlled by Volvo Cars or its parent company Geely Holding.[6][7]

The brand originated from Flash Engineering, a Swedish motorsport team established in that competed in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship. In , the team was sold then rebranded to Polestar Racing, which later operated a production car tuning division called Polestar Performance AB.[8][9] In July , the Polestar brand was acquired by Volvo Cars, which repositioned the brand as an electric vehicle manufacturer since .[10] The racing team was then rebranded to Cyan Racing, while still maintaining close ties to Volvo.[11]

The current United Kingdom-based holding company of Polestar, Polestar Automotive Holdings UK PLC was jointly formed in by Volvo Cars and Geely Holding Group.[12][13] Polestar shares began trading on the Nasdaq exchange under the symbol PSNY on 24 June .[14][15] Due to its continuing loss,[16] Volvo Cars plans to reduce its stake in Polestar by the third quarter of from currently 48.3% to around 18% by ceding it to Geely Holding.[4]

History

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Racing team and tuning brand (&#;)

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Polestar logo until

The company origins can be traced to the foundation of Flash Engineering, a Swedish racing team competing in Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC). The team was sold and rebranded as Polestar Racing, which began modifying Volvos for racing in the late s. In , the brand became the official Volvo partner to modify existing models, under the brand Polestar Performance. Volvo eventually bought the company in July and began selling Polestar-enhanced models directly through their resellers.[17]

Polestar has also produced prototype cars, with the first being the C30 Polestar Performance Concept Prototype () with over 400 bhp (300 kW) and 510 N&#;m (380 lbf&#;ft).[18]

The Volvo S60 Polestar Concept is the heir to the C30 Polestar, featuring 508 BHP from a modified T6 engine, launched in June .[19] The car sprints from 0&#;100 km/h (0&#;62 mph) in 3.9 seconds with a top speed of over 300 km/h (190 mph).[20] Motor Trend tested the car at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where it broke the lap record for four-door cars, matching the lap time of an Audi R8.[21]

Selection of petrol and hybrid powered Volvo-based Polestar models:

Introduced Model Type Engine Drivetrain Volvo C30 Polestar Concept[22] Concept 5-cylinder, cc, turbocharged, 451 PS AWD, 6-speed manual Volvo S60 Polestar Concept[23] Concept 6-cylinder, cc, turbocharged, 508 PS AWD, 6-speed manual Volvo S60/V60 Polestar Production 6-cylinder, cc, turbocharged, 350 PS AWD, 6-speed auto Volvo S60/V60 Polestar Drive-E Production 4-cylinder, cc, turbocharged, 367 PS AWD, 8-speed auto Volvo S60 T8 Polestar Engineered Production 4-cylinder, cc, plug-in hybrid, 415 PS AWD, 8-speed auto Volvo V60 T8 Polestar Engineered Production 4-cylinder, cc, plug-in hybrid, 415 PS AWD, 8-speed auto Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered Production 4-cylinder, cc, plug-in hybrid, 415 PS AWD, 8-speed auto

Standalone brand (&#;present)

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Polestar's showroom in Oslo, Norway

In October , Volvo Cars and Geely Holding announced that Polestar would become a standalone brand focusing on electric cars.[24] The brand introduced the Polestar 1 on 17 October , a 2+2 coupé inspired by Volvo's Concept Coupé introduced in , which includes influences from the Volvo P. The Polestar 1 was built between and , and was built in a new purpose-built Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China,[25] from at a rate of up to 500 per year.[26] During its final year of production, a limited-production gold-painted version of Polestar 1 was released. Only 25 units were produced.[27]

In , Polestar announced their second car, the Polestar 2 electric car.[28] It was unveiled on 27 February , in an online unveiling which was broadcast from the Polestar headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. Directly after, it had its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show.[29] It is produced at Volvo Cars's existing plant in Taizhou, China.[30] It received a mid-life refresh for its year-model, switching to a rear-wheel drive layout for its single-motor option, and various performance and cosmetic changes for the base model and performance package, respectively. It will also replace the existing front grille with a body-color front-end treatment that houses new safety hardware, including a front-facing camera and a new mid-range radar, matching the Polestar 3, dubbed the "SmartZone".[31]

In March , Polestar launched a roadster concept named the Polestar O2, and later in August , Polestar announced a sixth new roadster model dubbed Polestar 6 based on the O2 concept car, expected to enter production in .[32][33]

In , Polestar announced construction of its new headquarters &#; a 80,000 m2 (860,000 sq ft) building in central Gothenburg.[34][35]

Products

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Current and future vehicles

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Discontinued vehicles

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Performance optimisation

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Polestar Precept

Under the label Polestar Engineered, Polestar offers enhancements for Volvo cars which deliver upgraded performance. Examples are engine optimizations with retained warranty and unchanged fuel consumption and emissions. The engine optimization increases the power and torque output, varying depending on engine model. The response of the throttle can be modified and the character of the transmission is tweaked.

In , a special version of Polestar 2 was released as a Polestar Engineered product: the limited-production Polestar 2 BST edition 270, of which only 270 will exist.[40]

Racing

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Polestar has been working with Volvo since , starting with racing Volvo cars and being involved in the development of race cars for Cyan Racing. In , Polestar was involved in the development of a V8 powered Volvo S60 that was raced by Garry Rogers Motorsport in the Australian V8 Supercars series.[41] Robert Dahlgren was seconded to Australia in as part of this programme and pulled out in the end of .[42]

Logo dispute in France

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In , French brand Citroën considered that the Polestar company logo &#; also formed of chevrons &#; is too close to those of its Citroën and DS Automobiles brands. In the absence of an amicable agreement, Citroën took to the Tribunal de grande instance in July . The latter, in a decision dated 4 June , found in favor of the French manufacturer,[43] decision confirmed on appeal on 14 June . December . As a result, Polestar vehicles cannot be purchased in France.[44] In September , it was reported that Citroën and Polestar had settled their dispute.[45]

Other ventures

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In August , the company announced it would supply batteries and charging hardware to Candela for electric boats that would "fly" on hydrofoils.[46][47]

See also

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References

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I know I'm a jaded car journalist.

I've tested and reviewed hundreds of cars, and after a while, they all begin to blur together.

Do you know how sometimes you forget what you ate for breakfast? That's what it's like for me and cars. Someone will ask, "what car did you have last week?" and I'll struggle for a bit and respond, "I think it was red."

But, that isn't always the case. Sometimes a car is so terrific (or terrifically bad) that it leaves an impression that is impossible to shake. That's what I had this week with the Polestar 1, a car I first saw four years ago that I've pined for ever since.

It's a plug-in hybrid from Volvo's electric car brand, and it might be the most beautiful vehicle you can buy. It also has an absurd amount of tech under the hood, which appeals to my inner geek, and it's scarce. Let's take these one at a time.

The Polestar 1 is a grand tourer with impeccable lines.

Polestar

The Polestar 1 is loosely based on a Volvo concept car from a few years ago. It's a 2+2 grand touring car, meaning it's a roomy coupe with two front seats and two rear "seats." Most of the time, those rear seats are useless for anyone with legs, but Volvo manages enough space for smaller adults to fit on short journeys.

I'm not usually a big fan of coupes. The doors are too long, and they're challenging to park, and you end up with a lot of wasted space. Not this one, though. The Polestar 1 has perfect, muscular proportions, and I'm fully prepared to throw out all my prejudices to say it's stunning.

I'm a Volvo fan, and this thing is full of Volvo DNA but given a unique Polestar twist. The sheet metal is familiar but somehow improved. Perhaps that's because it's not metal at all but made from carbon fiber and covered in a jaw-droppingly gorgeous greyish paint called Magnesium Matte.

The Polestar 1 looks stunning from any angle, particularly with the diminutive but distinctive spoiler deployed.

Polestar

The carbon fiber polymer (it's not straight carbon fiber, but that only matters if you're a materials scientist) allows for shapes in the body that wouldn't be possible with sheet steel. That's part of what makes it look so special &#; it's not easy to quite put your finger on what is different about the Polestar, but you know there's something.

The Polestar 1 is $156,500, and there's only one option: a $5,000 matte paint. It's worth it.

Under the hood is a version of Volvo's supercharged and turbocharged 2-liter 4-cylinder engine. This engine graces all of Volvo's US vehicles and, though it's wildly complicated mechanically, it's largely proven itself when it comes to reliability.

I won't dive into the mechanical details of super- and turbocharging. Basically, it uses engineering wizardry and science to create lots of power from a tiny engine and send it through the front wheels.

It&#;s a long-range cruiser, perfect for the highway or a curvy backroad.

Polestar

Then there are a pair of electric motors powering the rear wheels, powered by an enormous 38-kilowatt-hour battery that is the largest in any plug-in hybrid and is suitable for more than 60 miles of all-electric range.

That means this is a fantastic car for folks who aren't quite ready to jump on the electric car bandwagon but still want to be green. Or if you want a car that hauls ass. This thing is the ultimate sleeper.

That's a car that looks restrained and slow, but when you want to drop the hammer, it takes off like an absolute rocket, and Volvos are great at it. Between the internal combustion engine up front and the electric motors in the back, the Polestar 1 is good for 619 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque.

The interior borrows a lot from its Volvo corporate sibling, including the Orrefors crystal shift knob.

Polestar 1

A small but elegant active rear spoiler pops up automatically if you exceed 62 miles per hour but can be deployed at any time via a switch on the door. It's understated but gives the 1 a sporty look and adds a bit of extra rear downforce at higher speeds.

Polestar is only making 1,500 of these too, so it might be the rarest car I've ever driven in terms of raw production numbers. Only 500 are being made every year for three years, and that's it. That means that after , production stops, and this gorgeous car will reach the end of the line.

If you're looking for something exclusive, this is it. And that's both a delight and a shame. I only had the Polestar 1 for a weekend, but every time I stopped, people would come up and ask what kind of car it was. That's good news for Polestar, which is a new car brand looking to impact the electric car space &#; but with only 1,500 being made, there's a limited opportunity for the company to use the 1 to make a splash.

The seats are some of the most comfortable I&#;ve ever used, while the golden seatbelts are a perfectly glorious and unnecessary accessory.

Polestar

I can count the number of cars I have been sad to give back on the one hand: the new Corvette, the Dodge Charger Hellcat, any Rolls-Royce. But the Polestar 1 might be more special than all of them. It's a swan song for the internal combustion engine, combining the best parts of that (a nice engine note and the ability to refuel quickly for long road-trip journeys) with a futuristic and fast electric powertrain.

It's a sign-on for Polestar, a first car looking back to what came before and forward to what's to come. I like the Polestar 2 electric car a lot (I reviewed it earlier this year), but it doesn't have the gravitas that this enormous GT car has.

I'm sure other electric cars will come along that I'll love almost as much as the Polestar 1. But I don't know that I'll ever stop pining for the beauty of this incredible car.

What&#;s Cool:

Jordan Golson / Inverse

This extra latch point at the bottom of each door helps reduce the severity of side- and side-angle impacts. It works to structurally protect the door hinges so that they are more likely to be opened to allow driver and passenger to exit the vehicle in a crash.

It&#;s likely not necessary to meet crash standards, but it shows the depths to which Polestar and Volvo will go to keep their customers safe.

Subscribe to PRNDL, Jordan Golson&#;s car reviews newsletter, free on Substack. This review is also published in the North State Journal.

This article was originally published on July 26,

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