Volvo’s electric car brand Polestar has confirmed it will make the Precept electric concept into a production vehicle, adding that it has already begun development.
In a post on LinkedIn by Polestar’s head of communications Andrew Lytheer, it was revealed that the Precept – a sleek and serene vision of an optimistic, sustainable future – will be made at a new state-of-the-art production facility in China by the EV brand.
It will join the Polestar 2, the eponymous all-electric SUV that has been released on overseas markets and is expected to arrive in Australia in 2021 alongside the Volvo XC40 Recharge.
“‘Stunning. Spectacular. Cutting-edge. We’d like to see it on the road!’ – this is what the press wrote about Precept and the public said, ‘We want it’, so we decided to build it,” Lytheer quoted Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, as saying.
“Consumers want to see change from this industry – not just dreams. Now, Precept becomes an even stronger statement. We are committed to reduce the environmental impact of our cars and our business. The aim has to be climate neutrality, even though I recognise that is a long-term goal.”
No indication of pricing was given. With its plans to make the Precept cemented, the brand says it will no longer call it a concept, instead calling it a “commitment car”.
And it is more than just a commitment to a zero emissions future; Lytheer makes sure to emphasise the sustainable approach that Polestar wants to take with the vehicle’s interior also.
According to Lytheer, the Precept interior will be made out of recycled materials including PET bottles, reclaimed fishing nets and cork vinyl.
Production partner Bcomp Ltd will also provide a flax-based material which with to make interior as well as some exterior parts.
Lytheer says that as with the Polestar 2, which is made at the car maker’s factory in Luqiao, the Precept will also be made in China at an all-new production facility.
This new facility will take the sustainable approach even further: Polestar has plans to make it carbon neutral, bringing it in line with its Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu where the plug-in hybrid Polestar 1 is made.
Polestar says its Chengdu facility is the “first LEED Gold-rated automotive production facility in China”, running completely on 100% renewable energy.
“China is a home market for Polestar and we recognise the increasingly important drive for greater sustainability here. With this new factory, we will again raise the bar, aiming to produce the most advanced and premium electric car in China with the lowest carbon footprint.” Ingenlath was quoted as saying.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.