Greet the fresh Polestar 3… concealed in camo attire. As previously ratified, the Polestar will be constructed in South Carolina, making it the premiere electric vehicle from the Geely labels to emerge not from the corporation’s establishments in China. Now, we can gain a superior glimpse at the recent EV joining in on the duty for any electric vehicle fabricator to generate some variation of a crossover.
The front aspect bears a resemblance to the Polestar 2, albeit with the grille size diminishing proportionally to accommodate the larger frame and slightly sharper look of the 3. Although labeled as an SUV, the Polestar 3 leans towards the compact end of that classification, more akin to an E-Tron than something truly colossal. Without resorting to computational fluid dynamics, I cannot be entirely certain, but the texturing on the front fails to suggest that the 3 is striving for the same perfectly smoothed contours that adorn most electric SUVs with ultra-low drag coefficients, hinting that Polestar might be leaning more towards commanding power and a substantial battery.
Precise details about the workings of the 3 remain scarce. Presumably, it will provide two powertrain setups, one of which will feature all-wheel drive, though that remains uncertain for now. Unlike the Polestar 2, designed to rival the Tesla Model 3 on a budget, the Polestar 3 is set to target the luxury segment, positioning itself against models like the E-Tron and BMW iX.
Polestar
Nevertheless, performance will not be overlooked, as per Polestar CEO Thomas Inglenlath. “Polestar 3 is scheduled for release in 2022 as a deluxe electric performance SUV that will influence the appearance of SUVs in the electric era. It will also mark the debut of a Polestar vehicle manufactured in the United States.”
Polestar is emphasizing the “built in America for Americans” narrative strongly, reiterated by Ingenlath in the press release. He was also eager to highlight that Polestar is a tangible car producer, unlike the challenges faced by, for instance, Faraday Future or Lordstown.
“We are not a virtual entity awaiting the establishment of factories and vehicle sales; we are an active organization currently designing and distributing cars globally,” Ingenlath stressed. “Our two distinguished cars are operational in 14 markets internationally, and we anticipate our worldwide sales figures to hit around 29,000 vehicles this year.”
Naturally, 29,000 units may not seem exceptionally ambitious unless one takes into consideration the dismal figures of electric vehicle startups in terms of sales and delivery. Lucid might boast pre-orders, but only recently began deliveries of the Air, significantly behind schedule. On another note, it’s quite telling of the industry at large that a CEO finds it necessary to assure the public that, as an automobile company, it does indeed produce vehicles—and intends to manufacture a considerably larger quantity in the future. Polestar anticipates experiencing a tenfold sales increase to 290,000 units by 2025.
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