Polestar highlights future four EV model range - what features do we want included?
The Polestar 2 has been an important car for the automaker, both in terms of brand awareness and sales. We take a look at the future model range, technological developments and our wishlist for future features and technology.
L to R: The Polestar 2, 3, 4 and 5. Image: Polestar
Polestar’s global expansion
Polestar launched its 25th global market in the first half of 2022, a significant increase from 10 markets in 2020. Polestar has added six new markets since the start of 2022, including UAE, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Ireland, Spain and Portugal. The company also plans to launch in Israel and Italy in the second half of 2022, adding to its Middle East and European footprint. By the end of 2023, Polestar plans to be present in an aggregate of at least 30 markets globally. The Polestar 2 has been on sale in Australia and New Zealand for most of 2022, and has been a considerable sales success.
Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, says: “Selling already in 25 countries across the globe, Polestar has a unique position in the pure play EV market. We are a real company, not one based on slideshow promises. More than 55,000 Polestar cars are on the roads globally today and we are launching a stunning portfolio of three new models in just three years. These gorgeous EVs are all in advanced development stages, and we have the ability to produce great quality cars with our experienced industrial partners.”
The future Polestar model range
The Polestar 1 hybrid super-coupe
The Polestar 1 was a limited run hybrid supercar. A proof of concept if you will, allowing design and development of the Polestar 2 to proceed while building brand and product awareness. The Polestar 2 liftback has demonstrated the brand can mass-produce a battery electric vehicle — over 55,000 are on roads worldwide currently — and that its core values of progressive design and sustainability resonate with a large chunk of the electric vehicle market.
The Polestar 2 AWD performance we recently reviewed.
If the Polestar 1 was an amuse bouche, the Polestar 2 is well and truly the main course (or entree in American parlance) Designed as a global vehicle for the profitable premium SUV segment, the Polestar 3 will be built in the United States and China, and will likely compete with the Mercedes-Benz EQC/EQE, Jaguar I-Pace and BMW iX. Dynamically, it’s expected that Polestar will also be targeting ICE competitors such as the Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5. This will be a tech-laden, performance oriented SUV, debuting Polestar’s LiDAR-based active safety systems and its next generation in-car software and user interface.
The Polestar 4, teased above, appears to have a coupe/SUV-like profile, and will go head to head with the excellent Porsche Macan (which will soon be electrified). We’re expecting the Polestar 4 to enter production in China from 2023. According to a statement from Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath to the media, he has previously quoted a €45,000 entry price for the Polestar 4, and a €75,000 entry price for the larger Polestar 3. That works out to roughly AUD$67,000 and A$112,000 respectively.
Lastly, and certainly not least, we have the Polestar 5. It’s a looker for sure, and uses a revolutionary new bonded aluminium platform developed by Polestar’s UK engineering team. This large performance sedan will pump out 640kW of power and 900Nm of torque, and you can read our coverage of it here.
In a recent investor presentation by aforementioned CEO Thomas Ingenlath (watch it above), Polestar reveals a few interesting feautres of its flagship vehicle. From the image with the clay model, the front end design appears to be simplified compared to the Precept. One shot from the video shows high-performance Akebono brakes — still in Polestar’s signature gold — but it signifies a departure from the Brembo partnership on the Polestar 2 sedan. The Polestar 1 featured 6-piston aluminium monoblock calipers from Akebono.
The interior of the Polestar 5, 4 and 3 will be a big departure from the Polestar 2; while we’re fond of the Polestar 2’s interior, there’s a lot of components borrowed straight from the Volvo parts bin, and while contemporary and premium, the cabin doesn’t feel next-generation.
We’ll have to wait and see the production Polestar 3 in October this year for confirmation, but we expect many more bespoke parts and switchgear when compared to the Polestar 2.
A clay model of the Polestar 5. The frontal area is expected to house radar and lidar active safety components.
The Polestar 5 will feature high performance brakes by Japanese company Akebono, similar to the Polestar 1
The Polestar 5 will move away from the Volvo parts bin, with a bespoke interior.
EV Brief’s wishlist for future Polestar products
Polestar offers a unique combination of a design and performance-focused model range, underpinned by an environmentally conscious and mission statement, and the Polestar 2 is unquestionably an excellent debut mass-market vehicle. There is however room for improvement, and we’d like to see innovation in the brand’s future offerings:
Vehicle to Load (V2L) functionality
Hyundai and Kia offer it, Ford and Rivian in the US even have standard household outlets fitted to their EVs. Mobility — and the way we use our vehicles — is changing, and the ability to power and charge tools and devices is a no brainer for a battery on wheels. This should be standard on any EV in development.
800 Volt Electrical architecture
We know its coming; we just don’t know when (or on which Polestar model). The Polestar 2 charges reasonably fast at a peak speed of 150kW, but It can’t compare to Tesla’s 250kW, or the charging speeds of the Porsche Taycan (270kW) or Hyundai Ioniq 5/Kia EV6 twins (220kW). 800 volt architecture is a game changer for electric vehicles. With higher voltage, lower current is required for DC fast charging, improving thermal efficiency and preventing overheating. This is one reason 400 volt electric vehicles charge so slowly from 80 percent state of charge.
Improvements in Polestar’s lane guidance and autonomous functions
Nothing comes close to Tesla’s autopilot for accuracy or driver confidence in semi-autonomous features. Tesla’s main benefit is its Neural Network which combines vehicle data, camera images and road data with machine learning to improve the autopilot system. While we don’t expect to see anything similar from Polestar, there’s definitely room for improvement in the software that controls lane guidance and adaptive cruise control to provide a smoother drive.
Software improvements
While generally good, Polestar’s app is buggy, and it’s data connection is glitchy, with many users reporting issues with the telematics system, requiring a full reboot. We’ve had issues with the LTE connection on every Polestar press vehicle we’ve tested, and it’s just not good enough in 2022 from a premium brand (or any brand for that matter). The company must work to improve the user software experience if it hopes to gain conquest business from Tesla.
Range extender mode
We appreciate the Polestar 2’s minimalistic interface, however its lack of an “eco” mode hampers the ability to really squeeze extra range out of the car when necessary. While quite efficient, the Polestar 2 isn’t best in class by any means, and drivers only have an option to set the climate control to eco. Future Polestar vehicles should have a mode which not only cuts off climate control, but limits power consumption, acceleration inputs and anything else that affects range.
Polestar 5 electric sports sedan set to use revolutionary bonded aluminium platform
Polestar is working on an entirely new, faster manufacturing process that develops both body and platform in unison.
The Polestar 5 will closely resemble the Precept concept car.
The Polestar 5 — based on the Precept concept — is shaping up to be a technological tour-de-force, with the announcement from the automaker that the upcoming model will feature a revolutionary bespoke bonded aluminium platform.
Auto manufacturing is a constant juggling exercise, finding the fulcrum between low weight for efficiency and performance, and strength for safety. Aluminium is a lightweight material, but traditional welding techniques require additional metal for strength, somewhat negating the intended weight advantage. Bonded aluminium is light-weight and rigid, offering exceptional performance and “green” advantages, according to Polestar. We understand the process involves special adhesives and screws, rather than traditional welding.
According to Polestar, while this technology has previously proven labour-intensive and difficult to use in mass production vehicles without sacrificing quality, the company’s 280-strong team of former Formula 1, low volume and bespoke sports cars engineers in the UK have resolved the challenges associated with bonding technology by developing an entirely new, faster manufacturing process that develops both body and platform in unison.
Polestar 5 manufacturing process gallery
As a result of the new materials and techniques involved, the body-in-white (completed platform and body) is expected to weigh less than that of cars in smaller segments, contributing to improved vehicle efficiency, real-world EV range and dynamic responsiveness, all while delivering leading safety levels. The new bonded aluminium platform will also help drive faster product introduction, high quality and platform rigidity.
“Our UK R&D team is one of Polestar’s greatest assets,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “Their mix of engineering and technological expertise enables us to develop advanced, light-weight sports car technology with a creative mindset and a spirit that embraces innovative engineering. This will set Polestar apart in the years to come.”
By further developing this technology for Polestar’s first in-house platform, the 4-door Polestar 5 is being designed with torsional rigidity superior to that of a traditional two-seat sports- or supercar. The decision to develop a bespoke platform has also enabled the brand to deliver a production model that remains true to the Precept concept car that inspired it.
“We knew we wanted this car to be light-weight, we knew we wanted high quality and we knew we wanted it quickly,” says Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK R&D. “This architecture delivers outstanding dynamic and safety attributes, with low investment technology applicable to high production volumes.”
Although without any distinguishing features in the above images, the Polestar 5 appears to retain the design character of the Polestar Precept concept, visible in the long hood, raked rear design and cut-off rear decklid. It also appears to be quite a large vehicle, when seen alongside a Polestar employee.
We expect the production Polestar 5 to be unveiled late 2022 - early 2023, ahead of a global market introduction in 2024.
Polestar Precept given production green light; will be named Polestar 5
The Polestar 5 is a large luxury sedan, scheduled to enter series production in 2024. It should compete with premium electric heavyweights like the Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model S and Mercedes EQS and EQE.
The Polestar 5 is
Just look at it. The high waistline, that menacingly raked roofline. The Polestar 5 is one handsome beast. Derived from the Precept concept car in 2020, it’s pleasing to see not a huge amount has changed on the exterior of the vehicle from Polestar’s original concept.
The Precept was created to highlight the automaker’s broad and bold vision; one of sustainability including recycled materials for vehicle components as well as carbo n neutral vehicle production, of impressive performance and advanced safety, and of cutting edge in-vehicle technology. Such was the public response to this car that Polestar decided to green-light its production.
Polestar has revealed a little bit more about the Precept, in its multi-part online documentary series From Concept to Car. According to Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, “With the Precept documentary series we are intentionally doing something car companies usually don’t – going behind the scenes with transparency as we turn this stunning concept car into production reality. It makes me very proud to see how much of the concept car’s design is making it into the Polestar 5 – a great achievement by our designers and engineers alike,”
Exterior design cues from the Polestar 5 are also expected to tease the production version of the first full-size SUV from the brand, the Polestar 3. Not much is known about this car at the moment, except that it is scheduled to be revealed in 2022, and will run Polestar/Volvo’s dual motor AWD battery electric drivetrain.
The Polestar 3 will be a very important car for the brand, and will be manufactured in the United States - at least for the North American market - to go head to head with other luxury and internal combustion engined SUVs from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Cadillac and Porsche.
The Polestar 5 is expected to be unveiled in late 2023, ahead of Northern Hemisphere customer deliveries in 2024.
Polestar’s Precept is the inspiration for the Polestar 5.
The Precept’s interior features many sustainable and recycled materials, but expect more conventional appointments in the finished production version.
