- Who owns Polestar electric cars?
- Who makes Polestar cars?
- Can you buy Polestar in Australia?
- Download the EVGuide Report, 2022
- Polestar Australia: price range and specs
- Polestar test drive Australia
- Polestar finance Australia
- The future of Polestar
Haven’t heard of Polestar electric vehicles? Well, there was a time when you hadn’t heard of Tesla, either, and you can expect to be just as aware of this relative EV newcomer, according to the company’s global head of sales, Mike Whittington. He boldly states that Polestar will soon outsell reigning champ Tesla, and reckons it’s not a matter of if, but when.
Regardless, If your Polestar knowledge is hazier than the Tesla Cybertruck’s release date, here’s all the important things you need to know about the EV brand that hopes to shake up the world, and annoy Elon Musk.
Who owns Polestar electric cars?
This is a case of big (Chinese) fish eats little (Swedish) fish.
Flash/Polestar Racing was established in 1996 and was a partner to Volvo, with the Swedish car manufacturer fully acquiring the off-shoot in 2015. Chinese multinational automotive giant Geely bought Volvo in 2010, technically making the Polestar brand Swedish-Chinese (which sounds like a very interesting cuisine).
Who makes Polestar cars?
Although headquartered in Torslanda outside Gothenburg, in Sweden, Polestar has its Polestar 2 made in Luqiao, China, at the same factory that builds the Volvo XC40 Recharge EV. The new Polestar 3 SUV, however, will be manufactured in both China and the US.
Can you buy Polestar in Australia?
If you’re keen to get behind the wheel of a Polestar, Polestar Australia has been selling the popular Polestar 2 hatchback EV since early 2022 (surely you’ve seen them on the road, many of them are now emblazoned with bright Hertz paint, as a fleet of hire cars has been rolled out nation wide).
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After a Polestar SUV? Australia will get those in 2023 when the Polestar 3 large SUV lands.
Wondering what happened to the Polestar 1? Australia never saw it, with the plug-in hybrid coupe discontinued from production in 2021.
If you’re keen to be the owner of a shiny new Polestar but worried about where to plug it in, charging stations in Australia are now beginning to increase, with various government funding going toward bridging the gap and making it easier for EV drivers to charge their vehicles.
Polestar Australia: price range and specs
Polestar 2
Price: $63,900 (Standard Range), $68,400 (Long Range), $73,400 (Long Range dual motor); all plus on-road costs
There are two single-motor variants of the Polestar 2: the Standard Range (estimated driving range of 478km) and the Long Range (estimated driving range of 551km), with each variant coming with outputs of 170kW/330Nm and the ability to go from zero to 100km/h in 7.4 seconds. There’s also a dual-motor Long Range variant (estimated driving range of 487km) with outputs of 170kW/660Nm and a zero to 100km/h dash of 4.7 seconds. The Standard Range battery pack is 67kWh, while the Long Range is 75kWh.
Polestar 3
Price: TBC
Based in part on the Volvo XC90, the Polestar 3 large SUV will have a dual-motor powertrain and maximum outputs of 380kW and 910Nm, with the estimated driving range provided by the 111kW battery pack at 610km. While local pricing has yet to be announced, in the UK the Polestar 3 goes for the equivalent of around $135,000, which should let you know the ballpark we’re looking at.
A single-motor version that drops the outputs to 360kW/840Nm may also be on its way, which would bring that variant’s price down to somewhere in the vicinity of $100,000.
Polestar test drive Australia
Test drives for the Polestar 2 are currently available in Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Perth and two locations in Sydney.
That’s not the only way to get yourself behind the wheel of a Polestar 2: Hertz has purchased a whopping 65,000 Polestars 2s to add to its fleet of rental cars, giving Aussies the chance to test one out before shelling out their hard-earned.
Uber will also make 500 Polestars 2s part of its fleet thanks to vehicle subscription company Splend. A ‘Custom Electric’ service will be launched by Uber next year, which gives Uber customers the ability to choose to travel in a Polestar 2 or Tesla Model 3. The service will arrive in Sydney first, before being rolled out nationally.
Polestar finance Australia
Polestar offer a traditional fixed rate loan to customers, as well as a loan with a ‘Guaranteed Future Value agreement’, which is similar to a regular loan with a balloon payment at the end of the term. The difference is that Polestar guarantees the minimum return value of the vehicle to ensure it covers the balloon repayment.
The future of Polestar
Two more models have already been announced by Polestar: the Polestar 4 compact luxury crossover SUV and Polestar 5 four-door sedan (outputs: 650kW/900Nm) which are arriving in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The Polestar 6, an electric sports car concept, has also been unveiled, with a proposed release date of 2026. The dual motor, two-door convertible’s target specifications are a top speed of 250km/h, acceleration from zero to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds, a 600km-plus driving range and a power target of 650kW.
That definitely sounds like something you won’t want to miss.
Keyword: Polestar electric cars in Australia: Everything you need to know