- Release Date
- Polestar retail stores gain unique soundtracks
- Emissions to be halved by 2030
- Polestar 5 FAQs
- What is the Polestar 5 release date?
- Which cars will be Polestar 5 rivals?
- What will be the Polestar 5 price?
Update: ‘Positioning’ and ‘Emissions to be halved by 2030’ sections added.
On September 27, 2021, Polestar announced plans to go public with a merger. In the announcement, the company shared teasers confirming the launch of three further models. Among these is the Polestar 5 (codename: Polestar P61A), which should be the brand’s most capable EV. More teasers and details followed in another announcement on November 23, 2021. Here’s everything we know about the Polestar 5.
Positioning
The brand’s Annual Review 2021 report revealed plans to expand Polestar’s global portfolio with a range of futuristic electric vehicles, including the Polestar 5. The EV is expected to lock horns with the Porsche Taycan and the Tesla Model S. The premium four-door grand tourer would set a new performance benchmark for the brand and possibly become its new flagship. Here’s what the Annual Report 2021 says:
Polestar 5, a luxury electric 4 door GT Polestar 5 is planned to be the production evolution of Polestar Precept, and will introduce a new in-house aluminium chassis and powertrain.
Statement from Polestar in its Annual Review 2021
Design
As you’ll learn in the Release Date section of the article, the Polestar 5 is quite far from dealer showrooms, but the final design looks ready.
Both exterior and interior of the Polestar 5 (pictured) look similar to those of the Precept concept presented in 2020. Image Source: Polestar
The Polestar 5 is a highly aerodynamic, four-door GT derived from the Precept concept. Polestar had strongly indicated that the Precept is an achievable reality, not a fancy dream or a pure sci-fi imagination. We see it meant every word, as the production version looks nearly identical. The 5 is just as sleek, sporty, and athletic as the Precept with the same low and wide stance and voluptuous body. Just like the concept car, it has extremely short overhangs, tilted T-shaped, split headlights, and razor-sharp character lines.
That said, the production version of the Precept has subtle visual changes. Polestar appears to have raised the hood’s height, enlarged the lower air intake, and swapped the thin mirrors with conventional mirrors, and the rear-hinged rear doors with front-hinged ones. We’re pleasantly surprised that the company has carried over the visibly large wheels that fill the arches in the original size.
The sleek, four-door GT Polestar 5 will aim to be one of the most powerful and efficient electric cars yet. Image Source: Polestar
The LiDAR sensor doesn’t stick out of the roof much; the designers have achieved neater integration, which couldn’t be said of the Precept concept. The nose section of the production car houses several sensors needed for the functioning of the ADAS.
Video Source: YouTube/Polestar
Overall, Maximilian Missoni (Head of Design, Polestar), Nahum Escobedo (Exterior Design Manager, Polestar), and Krister Olofsson (Senior Exterior Studio Engineer, Polestar) have come up with a brilliant design that should be a hit in the four-door GT segment. Porsche and Audi might not be worried for the immediate future, but the Taycan and e-tron GT have a serious rival in the making, and we’re confident that it’ll compete strongly on more than the exterior design.
When we got to the Precept, it’s very very close from the sketching of the idea to the concept, and then now from the concept to production (Polestar 5), I think we are very very close to that idea.
Nahum Escobedo, Exterior Design Manager of Polestar
Interior
Polestar’s Mercedes AMG-EQE rival will likely feature the cockpit screens running Android Automotive OS. With AR-HUDs improving significantly, automakers are reducing the size of instrument clusters. Volkswagen, Skoda, and Seat are adopting this change in their EVs, and Volvo has confirmed the same for the production version of the Volvo Concept Recharge. Expect the Polestar 5 to feature a compact widescreen serving as the instrument cluster, and a large, portrait touchscreen in the center of the dashboard. The Polestar Precept concept has already given us an overview of such a cockpit layout.
The interior of the Polestar 5 should be similar to that of the Polestar Precept concept, featuring a highly digital design and sustainable materials. Image Source: Polestar
With the Polestar 5, the company will likely take new steps for sustainability and alternative materials. It may use recycled fishing nets (Nylon 6) for the car floor mats. Another example could be the usage of waste and recycled cork-based vinyl for seat bolsters and headrests.
Features
Expect the Polestar 5 to be a highly software-based, highly hardware-ready car. Polestar has confirmed that it will offer “unsupervised highway driving pilot” in the 3 SUV, and so, there’s no question about the flagship model getting SAE Level 3 or higher autonomous driving capability.
The Polestar 5 should feature autonomous driving tech, including a LiDAR sensor as standard, providing customers with the convenience of purchasing and unlocking autonomous driving functions anytime during the ownership. One can also expect in-car cameras and other sensors that ensure that the driver is in all their senses while the vehicle is moving, be it with driver-input or autonomously.
In addition to rivals from established global brands, the Polestar 5 will need to tackle competitors from newfound Chinese companies that are getting more innovative with every passing day. From swappable lithium-ion batteries to semi-solid-state batteries, in-car movie projectors, AI-based voice assistants, and more, models from companies like Nio and Xpeng Motors are bringing the latest in technology ahead of their Western competitors. Now part of a Chinese conglomerate itself, Polestar will need attractive features to compete in the global marketplace.
Platform
The Polestar 5 will sit on an all-new bonded aluminum platform. Developed in-house, it will be lightweight and rigid focused on performance as well as environmental advantages. Polestar expects new materials and techniques involved in the manufacturing process of the body-in-white (finished platform and body) to help it keep its weight in check.
The Polestar 5’s bonded aluminum platform will be the company’s first in-house platform. Image Source: Polestar
This architecture delivers outstanding dynamic and safety attributes, with low investment technology applicable to high production volumes.
Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK R&D on the new platform of the Polestar 5
Polestar wants the 5 to have better torsional rigidity than that of a traditional 2-seat sports- or supercar. Its 280-strong former F1 team is working on its first in-house platform in the UK. The bonded aluminum platform is a labor-intensive and difficult-to-use technology, but this team has combated those challenges by coming up with a new, faster manufacturing process that develops the body and platform together, the company said in a press release in February 2022.
Specifications
The Polestar 5 could come in single-motor RWD and dual-motor AWD variants. The former could sport the company’s 450 kW (603 hp) rear motor, and the latter could have a system power of 650 kW (871 hp) with an additional motor at the front. Like the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT, Polestar’s four-door luxury GT could be one of the few EVs featuring a two-speed transmission, and it will feature 21-inch wheels.
An 800-volt battery pack with a multi-charging system (400V and 800V) and 103 kWh of battery storage capacity could be the source of energy. The energy density of the Polestar 4’s battery should be better than that of the Polestar 2. Expect bi-directional/vehicle-to-grid charging compatibility and an ultra-fast charging time (to 80% SoC) of about 20 minutes. Polestar is targeting a range of more than 600 km (373 miles).
Production
The Polestar 5 will enter production at the end of 2024. Polestar will manufacture the 5 at Geely’s Chongqing factory in China. Geely owns the manufacturing facility, but it is operated by Polestar.
Release Date
Polestar plans to launch the 5 at the end of 2024. The company expects to sell 11,000 units of the sedan in 2024 and 30,000 units in 2025. It sees the 2, 3, and 4 as high-volume cars. The 5 will likely be a niche model debuting the brand’s high-value innovations and elevating its reputation to bring it on par with established luxury brands.
With four electric cars in its line-up, Polestar aims to ramp up sales to 290,000 units by 2025, from 29,000 units achieved in 2021. The company is targeting to grow its revenue from USD 1.6 billion (estimated) in 2021 to USD 17.8 billion in 2025. It expects its EBIT to reach break-even at the end of 2023 and grow to USD 1.6 billion in 2025.
The Polestar 5 (top) retains the core design of the Precept concept (bottom) while trading the suicide-style doors for regular doors. Image courtesy: Polestar/Polestar Youtube channel
Polestar plans to expand its global footprint to 30 markets by 2023. It will further increase retail presence by the time of deliveries of the Polestar 5 in 2024.
The press bulletin by Polestar dated January 11, 2022, revealed that the company expanded its footprint from 10 to 19 global markets in 2021. In the first half of this year, Polestar will enter Spain, Portugal, and Ireland in Europe, and Israel, UAE, and Kuwait in the Middle East. Polestar plans to expand its global footprint to 30 markets by 2023.
Polestar wants to grow its retail presence to 150 outlets globally by 2022, a report from Automotive News said last year. In the U.S. specifically, the company intends to increase showrooms from 25 to 38 by 2022, and 50 outlets by 2023. The recent additions are facilities in New York City and Boston, and the metro cities in the United States are undoubtedly the big markets for the Polestar 5 sedan.
Satellite sales offices are also part of the global expansion plan, aimed at the smallest of the small markets, which are unmissable. Lastly, it will tie up with local importers in some markets where it cannot or doesn’t want to establish its own sales network.
Polestar retail stores gain unique soundtracks
Polestar announced on March 8, 2022, that it has teamed up with Lisa Nordstrom, a Swedish musician, to develop unique sounds for Polestar retail outlets to enhance the brand experience for customers. Rong Guan, the brand’s retail architect, believes that “one often uses more than one sense to experience things,” and a multi-sensory approach is essential to attract customers.
The nine-hour audio file is divided into four tracks; morning, mid-day, afternoon, and evening. The soundtracks are available across 50 different streaming platforms, and drivers can also streamed it in their Polestar 2 EV. This development should support the upcoming Polestar 5, at both the car and retail levels. The artist has vast musical experience, from movies to experimental radiophonic compositions.
Emissions to be halved by 2030
Ingenlath has revealed that in 2021, the brand reduced emissions per car sold by 6%, owing to the improved vehicle efficiency and enhanced focus on lessening the Polestar’s impact on nature. The marque’s goals are ambitious, as it aims to build an entirely emissions-free car by 2030 (Project 0).
Electric vehicles are inherently zero emissions thanks to zero tailpipe emissions but their manufacturing process still includes a lot of emissions. Polestar’s EV due in 2030 would be manufactured using 100% green processes. In the run-up to 2030, the brand plans to reduce carbon emissions by 50% per sold car. By 2040, the brand plans to become climate neutral across its value chain.
Polestar 5 FAQs
What is the Polestar 5 release date?
The Polestar 5 will go on sale in the first markets in late-2024.
Which cars will be Polestar 5 rivals?
The Polestar 5 will compete with the likes of the Tesla Model S, Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT, Nio ET7, and the BMW i5.
What will be the Polestar 5 price?
The base Polestar 5 should cost around USD 75,000 in the United States.
Featured Image Source: Polestar
Keyword: Polestar 5 sedan: Everything we know as of May 2022