Volvo’s electric vehicle subsidiary Polestar has given an early taster of its all-electric Polestar 3 SUV, which it says will be manufactured in the United States at the Volvo Cars production centre in Ridgeville, South Carolina.
The Polestar 3 is the third electric vehicle from the Sino-Swedish automotive brand, which is jointly owned by Volvo and its Chinese parent company, Geely.
Coming after the plug-in hybrid Polestar 1 and the all-electric Polestar 2, the Polestar 3 is billed as “an aerodynamic electric performance SUV”, the company explained that the Polestar 3 will also debut the next generation of EV architecture from Volvo Car Group.
Very few details of the Polestar 3 were revealed – reflected in the company’s accompanying teaser image, which reveals only a vague silhouette of the promised SUV – except that it will be built on Volvo’s new EV platform and will also feature Google’s native Android Automotive OS infotainment system, as well as high-end and safety-focused autonomous driving features.
The primary focus of Polestar’s announcement was the fact that the Polestar 3 will be manufactured in the US.
“Polestar 3 will be built in America, for our American customers,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s Chief Executive Officer.
“I remember the great response when I first shared Polestar’s vision here in the USA and I am proud that our first SUV will be manufactured in South Carolina. From now on, the USA is no longer an export market but a home market.”
Polestar hopes that the move will transform the company into a “truly global brand” thanks to industrial capacity in two of the single largest markets for electric vehicles in the world – China and the United States – alongside the company’s headquarters and established sales and distribution capabilities in Europe.
Polestar also revealed that it will open 25 retail “Spaces” across the United States this year. Polestar ‘Spaces’ are the company’s take on traditional automotive showrooms.
This week’s announcement says that these Spaces “offer customer conveniences such as home test drives, free pick-up and delivery servicing, and mobile service for consumers in markets still awaiting the opening of a Polestar Space.”
Polestar also hasn’t ignored the Australian market, with an announcement last month that the Polestar 2, the company’s first all-electric saloon, would be coming to Australian shores in November.
“We’re delighted to announce that the highly anticipated all-electric Polestar 2 is expected to be launched locally by November 2021,” said the recently appointed Australian managing director, Samantha Johnson, in a note by email.
“Polestar sees considerable potential in the Australian market, which is why it will be one of the first markets to launch as part of the company’s Asia Pacific expansion.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.