Polestar’s first SUV was launched last week. The traditional SUV is an environmental offender. In 2019, the research found that vehicles were the 2nd most significant contributor to the rise in global carbon dioxide emissions in the past decade, surpassing even trucks and aviation. Polestar is aiming to redeem this category by launching the Polestar 3. This is Polestar’s first SUV. It’s all-electric and has serious sustainability credentials.
The popularity of SUVs is increasing. In 2021, 48% of China’s passenger car market sold SUVs. In Europe, buyers are switching from sedans and hatchbacks to SUVs. This represents 45.5% percent of all cars bought in 2021. The US dominates this market with 52.3% of all sales.
There are many reasons why this is so. As an alternative to public transport, car usage increased during the pandemic. To compensate for the delays caused by the silicon-chip shortage, car companies are investing heavily in luxury cars of higher prices.
The Polestar brand was launched in 2017 by Volvo Cars Group. The apparent benefits of an electric vehicle are just some of the ones that the company sees. They plan to build the Polestar, a climate-neutral, zero carbon-footprint cars, by 2030.
It is a huge task that goes beyond electrification. The EV’s range will increase with greater aerodynamic efficiency. The Polestar 3’s have a 111 kWh battery with a range that is 610 km. However, the added value of large batteries is not worth considering that most people rarely drive their SUVs for more than a few hours per day.
The 2022 Tesla Y long-range has a 74kWh lithium battery and a range of 531km. The Mercedes-Benz EXE SUV unveiled in Paris on Sunday has a 550km range and a 90.6kWh lithium battery.
The Polestar can only carry five people, and the Tesla Y or EQE SUV can hold up to seven, which somewhat dilutes the purpose of a large vehicle. Polestar has yet to transition from luxury to smaller, more efficient vehicles, but it is working on the following three cars.
The starting price of the Polestar 3 is $84,000 (EUR89,000.900). Production of the Polestar 3 will start in mid-2023 at Chengdu’s Volvo plant. First deliveries are expected in Europe and the US in the fourth quarter of 2023. Manufacturing will also occur at the Volvo plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina, starting in mid-2024.
