Polestar 3 electric SUV due in 2022: Mach-E, Model Y rival will be US-built

On Jun 16, 2021

Polestar has announced that its first all-electric SUV, called Polestar 3, is due in 2022 and will be built in the U.S.

The company won’t be building a new factory, however; it plans to build the Polestar 3 for U.S. customers alongside Volvo Cars vehicles in Ridgeville, South Carolina.

The Polestar 3, which the company describes as “an aerodynamic electric performance SUV”—think Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, and Kia EV6—won’t be built on the same adapted ICE platform that’s the basis for the Polestar 2 and Volvo XC40 Recharge (which were developed together).

Instead it will be built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform—expected to be a version of the Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) led by Volvo parent Geely, with Volvo engineering input. It’s the modular platform due to form the basis for future EVs from Volvo—including an electric Volvo XC90.

Geely SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) modular EV platform

“Polestar 3 will be built in America, for our American customers,” said Thomas Ingenlath, the CEO of Polestar. “From now on, the USA is no longer an export market but a home market.”

Polestar plans to open 25 retail “Spaces” around the U.S. in 2021 that will offer home test drives, free pickup and delivery servicing, and mobile service for those who are too far away from another Polestar Space.

Polestar Space

The automaker has established that it doesn’t aim to be a mainstream brand, but it won’t be on the same level as luxury brands either. In a press release, the company also noted that U.S. production reduces delivery times and the price of the vehicle, as well as the environmental impact of its vehicles. “All of this makes the brand even more competitive in the critical American sales market,” said Dennis Nobelius, Polestar’s COO.

The company confirmed that the Polestar 3 will have “industry-leading connectivity features based on Google’s native Android Automotive OS infotainment system,” plus advanced driver-assist features.

Polestar 2

Polestar already has a particularly interesting and worldly story. Owned by Volvo Cars and Volvo’s Chinese parent Geely, but based in Sweden—with engineering primarily Swedish—Geely has built all of its vehicles thus far in China. With the U.S. plant being Polestar’s first venture outside China—or Sweden—consider it an indication it sees a healthy demand for its special mix of Scandinavian-tuned EVs in America.