Who Is Polestar? Swedish Race Team Turned EV Manufacturer

There was a shiny new Polestar vehicle on the road and I thought to myself. Who is that company and what do they make? It all began as a partnership with a racing group called the Polestar racing team out of the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship and Volvo. This partnership began in 1996 with the Polestar team building cars for Volvo’s race team to help them win the STCC. In 2005 Volvo acquired Polestar and subsequently Volvo itself was acquired by a Chinese company Geely in 2010. The team has since changed its name to Cyan Racing but retains close ties with Volvo. In 2022 they went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

What was the First Polestar Vehicle?

In the early days they would build custom race cars built on top of the Volvo S60. In 2018 they released their first standalone consumer vehicle called the Polestar 1. It was a plugin Hybrid Electric with a style somewhat similar to the Volvo S90 but with a uniquely Polestar design of its own. If anything it has a more premium sleeker look and design. It has carbon fiber lining the body and interior. It also has a panoramic glass roof running the entire length of the vehicle. Another cool unique feature of all their vehicles is the headlights. Being a Scandinavian brand they have made the headlights out to be in the shape of Thor’s hammer. At the time of the Polestar 1’s release it had an electric range that blew away any other hybrid at 78 miles of range. Their first vehicle was discontinued at the end of 2021 but you can still purchase a used one, They even have used inventory on their website.

Currently they have two vehicles in production. The Polestar 2 and the Polestar 3. The 2 is their first All Electric EV starting at $49,900 and the 3 is their first All Electric SUV starting at $83,900 at the time of writing.

The Polestar 2

The P2 is a hatchback sedan EV 5 seater. It has 3 trim options, base rear wheel drive, an all wheel drive option, and an all wheel drive performance option. It has a large 11 inch center touch screen. On top of that it has a fairly traditional interior setup with a instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. Several buttons on the steering wheel, and a gear shifter in the center. Starting more expensive than the Tesla Model 3 it also has higher starting range at 320 miles. Polestar partnered with Google to build their infotainment operating system so it has native Google Auto built in. But it also supports Apple Carplay.

Specs

Range: Base 320 mi, AWD 276 mi, AWD Performance 247 mi
0-60 Acceleration: Base 5.9 sec, AWD 4.3 sec, AWD Performance 4.1 sec
Top Speed: 127 mph all trims
DC Fast Charging Speed: Base 205 kW 10-80% in 28 mins, AWD 155 kW 10-80% in 34 mins
Towing Capacity: 2000 lbs
Seating Options: 5 seats
Storage Space: 14.2 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk and 38.7 cubic feet when the seats are folded down.
Pilot Pack: Adaptive Cruise Control, Pilot Assist (Lane keeping feature) LED front fog lights with cornering function and more. Add-on for $3,000

The Polestar 3

This vehicle carries over the the sleek elegant design of the Polestar 2 into an SUV. The Polestar 3 is a five seater SUV and comes in two trims. An All Wheel Drive model and an All Wheel Drive model with Performance pack. At the time of writing the Polestar 3 is not yet out. It will start shipping in the second quarter of 2024. The larger SUV size give it a very spacious cabin and shares a base with Volvo’s EX90. Similar to the Polestar 2 it’s not as minimalist as Tesla’s but has a very sleek clean design with the inclusion of an instrument cluster and traditional buttons and shifters. The infotainment system is built on Android Auto with a big 14.5 inch touchscreen in the middle. But you can also use Apple CarPlay if you want. Starting at 84K its an expensive luxury SUV.

Specs

Range: Base 300 mi, Performance Package 270 mi
0-60 Acceleration: Base 4.9 sec, Performance Package 4.6 sec
Top Speed: 130 mph all trims
DC Fast Charging Speed: 250 kW 10-80% charge in 30 minutes.
Towing Capacity: 3500 lbs
Seating Options: 5 seats
Storage Space: 14.2 cubic feet of cargo space in the trunk and 38.7 cubic feet when the seats are folded down.
Pilot Pack: Upgrades Pilot Assist, Park Assist Pilot and a head-up display included in the Polestar 3
Pilot pack with LiDAR: Creates a 3D picture of the vehicles surroundings. Designed to see what the driver cannot even in adverse weather or low light. Add-on for $5,000

Do They Have Autopilot?

They have a self driving feature called Pilot Assist. At a high level view it is more of a lane keeping feature for use on highways. It will help steer the vehicle for you but you have to keep your hand on the wheel at all times. Pilot Assist along with Adaptive Cruise Control can allow the vehicle to handle most of the driving for you when on long trips on the freeway. However it is not true self driving as it will not change lanes or navigate city streets for you. The upcoming Polestar 3 has an advanced Pilot Assist called Pilot Pack with LiDAR and in the future they may allow them to include more advanced self driving features into the Polestar 3 and future vehicles.

Do They have Any Upcoming Vehicles?

Yes they have 2 new models in development the Polestar 5 and the Polestar 6. The Polestar 5 is expected to be a luxury high end EV starting in the 100k range. 884 horsepower engine expected, and it is to be the first Polestar that is fully carbon neutral. The interior is expected to be a luxurious two rows of captains chairs. It will probably be released sometime in 2024.

The Polestar 6 is to be Polestars first roadster. Launching in 2026 the Polestar 6 will be a 2 door convertible with 4 seats. It will have a bonded unibody aluminum frame the roof has an aluminum frame and glass ceiling that will retract to open the convertible. Its range is expected to be 300+ miles and it will accelerate to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. Top speed will be 155mph in the dual motor 884 hp design.

Our Take

While a relative newcomer on the streets their first vehicle was in 2018, their team is highly experienced. They cut their teeth in the Scandinavian racing circuit and have been working with Volvo since 1996. While sharing some base designs with Volvo I really like the Polestar design and philosophy. They put a lot of love into their design to give their vehicle a unique classy look. Their interiors are also very clean but inviting. Their CEO Thomas Ingenlath is clearly a car nerd who wanted vehicles with only the best EV technology that is available. Their focus on fun, sustainable and high tech vehicles make Polestar a great choice in the EV market.