The Swedish premium brand’s third model will enter production in China next year, with North Carolina production starting sometime in 2024.
Polestar is gearing up to launch the 3, an all-new electric SUV that features up to five radars, five external cameras, twelve ultrasonic sensors, and a standard dual-chamber air suspension. Pricing starts at $83,900.
Its third model is crucial for Polestar, the Geely empire’s EV brand with close ties to Volvo Cars. Unlike the Polestar 2, this five-seater SUV is based on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture, which is the same SEA1 that the Lotus Eletre and the upcoming Volvo EX90 will use. In the Polestar 3, two permanent-magnet motors—one on each axle—enable all-wheel drive. You get 489 hp and 517 lb-ft of torque with an estimated range of 300 miles, or for $6,000 more, the Performance Pack, which offers 517 hp and 671 lb-ft or torque with a range estimate of 270 miles.
In either case, the Polestar 3 is running a 400-volt system with NMC battery cells providing 111 kWh nominal and 107 kWh usable capacity. DC charging goes up to 250 kW, while AC maxes out at 11 kW. With such a large battery pack onboard, the lightest configuration weighs 5696 lbs, while the highest specification can go up to 5886 lbs. On the plus side, weight balance is neutral, while towing capacity is rated at 3,500 pounds.
The Pilot and Plus packages also come standard. These add comfort and safety functions, including the adaptive dual chamber air suspension. In order to deal with the extra mass, the front brakes come from the Brembo catalog, with 400-mm discs grabbed by four-piston calipers.
Polestar likes to talk about sustainability, so to shrink its ecological footprint, the Polestar 3’s cabin is layered in MicroTech fabrics, the hides of previously rather cheerful animals, and wools sourced from equally responsibly managed environments. Perhaps more importantly to you, daily energy consumption of the Polestar 3 is estimated to be at 38.9 kWh/100 miles for the Long Range model, and 42.2 kWh/100 miles for the Performance Pack cars. In return, the spicier Polestar 3s will jump to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds.
One-pedal driving is supported by individual settings for the drivetrain. Torque vectoring is a given, and in case the juice is running low, the Polestar 3 can decouple its rear motor to save energy using front-wheel drive only.
While the air suspension system can discuss current damping strategies with the car’s brain in just two milliseconds, the array of radars, cameras and sensors also demand ample processing power. Volvo’s software is handled by an Nvidia drive unit, while infotainment is taken care of by Android Automotive and Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon hardware.
Such premium features as the 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, the soft-closing doors, plus Park Assist and Pilot Assist are part of the standard deal, while an additional Pilot Pack with LiDAR from Luminar is available. This adds an additional control unit from Nvidia, plus three cameras, four ultrasonic sensors, and the cleaning system for the front- and rear-view cameras. These digital eyes provide the brain with real-time LiDAR data that also helps prepare the car for the possibility of autonomous driving at some point.
Polestar 3 Performance Packs include 22-inch forged wheels, stickier Pirelli tires, and golden accents for the extra $6,000, so chasing BMW iX M60s, or perhaps the upcoming Volvo EX90s can become easier. And BMW’s electric SUV doesn’t have 1.1 cubic feet of storage space at the front, that’s for sure.
The first Polestar 3s will be produced in Chengdu, China starting next summer. However, production is also set to begin in North America, at the Ridgeville, North Carolina factory in 2024. Expect U.S. market Polestar 3s—produced exclusively in Ridgeville—to be on sale in mid-2024.
Keyword: The Polestar 3 Is a 517-HP Electric SUV That Will Be Made in the U.S.