Today Polestar has released the first official image and brief details on their first ever SUV crossover, the Polestar 3. Starting with the 3, the company aims to introduce a new vehicle every year for the next three years.
What You Need to Know
Polestar says the all-electric SUV will have a dual-motor setup, likely for an all-wheel drive option a la their existing Polestar 2 EV sedan. The automaker claims a range of 600 kilometers (roughly 373 miles) on Europe’s WLTP cycle. We’re still waiting on official EPA testing which tends to be a bit more conservative. Polestar says the autonomous driving technology powering the vehicle will be provided by Luminar for the LiDAR unit and NVIDIA for the computing power.
When Will It Be Available?
A world premiere is on the books for October 3rd and pre-orders direct from Polestar will get under way at that time. The SUV will be manufactured in the US and China. US production will take place at the joint Polestar-Volvo facility in South Carolina.
How Does It Compare to Other Electric Crossovers?
The SUV will launch alongside the existing Volvo XC40 Recharge, but Polestar’s brand identity is sportier than sister-brand Volvo. Its direct competition will therefore probably be the likes of the Tesla Model Y and Model X, and Audi e-tron. Down the line, it could face some stiff competition from the all-electric Porsche Macan. Polestar previously said the new 3 will be positioned as a pricier and more luxurious SUV than the next-generation Volvo XC90, which is also going all-electric. Both ride on the same platform. However, the Polestar 3 will utilize exclusive powertrains that won’t be available on the next XC90. In other words, the Polestar’s powertrain will be bespoke.
In order to be competitive with the above vehicles, it will need an EPA-estimated range of at least 350 miles on a single charge. However, the 3 probably won’t have the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s 800-volt rapid charging. Full details are still a few months away and we expect more surprises once the Polestar 3 arrives.
