This is the first Polestar not descended from a Volvo, like the first and second of the name. Designers and engineers started from scratch to design the Polestar 3, an electric SUV. It is based on the Geely group’s dedicated SEA platform, the same as that used by the Chinese brand Zeekr and its first model, the 001.
Announced in June 2021, the Polesar 3 is finally being marketed in China, where it is assembled at the Volvo plant in Chengdu. It should be noted that for the first time said SUV will also be assembled outside the Middle Kingdom, at the Ridgeville plant (South Carolina), which produces the Volvo S60 and will soon assemble the next generation of the XC90.
The good news comes from the price list, the prices being significantly lower than those initially announced. Thus, the information site CNEVpost tells us that the Polestar 3 has suffered a reduction ranging from approximately $26,000 to $34,000 on the initial prices ($127,952 and $149,762). As a result, the first Long Range Dual Motor version is available from $101,159, while the Performance version is available from $115,651. Polestar announces that the electric SUV, all versions combined, will be delivered in the 4th quarter of 2023.
In Europe, the first Polestar 3 should be delivered from autumn 2023. The Long Range Dual Motor version will start at €89,900. It remains to be seen whether France will have access to this model, despite the end of the dispute between the Chinese manufacturer and Citroën. Indeed, during an exchange of emails – in October 2022 – between the drafting of the Digital and a Polestar Europe manager, the latter replied: “France is currently not an existing or planned market for Polestar“.
If the company does not explain this price drop, some observers refer to the price war waged around electric vehicles in China by manufacturers. Everything suggests that the initiator of the movement was Tesla at the start of the year, followed by the Chinese manufacturer Xpeng. Since then, it’s been escalating, especially with foreign manufacturers such as Toyota for its bZ4X, Nissan with the Ariya, Ford for the Mustang Mach-E and more recently BMW and Volkswagen (source Electrive).
Autonomy of 610 km and Android Automotive
Combining”Scandinavian minimalism and purity”, the Polestar 3 plays more in the sumo category, with a weight on the scale which oscillates between 2,584 and 2,670 t. Added to this are XXL dimensions: 4.90 m long, 2.12 m wide (exterior mirrors included), 1.614 m high and a wheelbase of 2.985 m, which suggests good habitability. Despite everything, this Polestar displays a drag coefficient (Cw) of 0.29 obtained thanks to what the manufacturer calls “the front aero wing”. This is characterized by an air intake on the front grille, the air being directed onto the engine cover.
In its Long Range Dual Motor version, the Polestar 3 has two electric motors, one on each axle, with a nominal power of 360 kW (490 hp, torque of 840 Nm) which can be increased to 380 kW (517 hp, torque of 910 Nm) thanks to the Performance pack (option at 6000 €). This architecture makes it possible to vector the torque on the rear axle, providing additional power. The exercise from 0 to 100 km / h is shot in 5 s without the Performance pack, in 4.7 s with.
The SUV has a battery with a capacity of 111 kWh (400 V), giving it a range (WLTP cycle) of more than 610 km. Composed of 204 prismatic cells grouped into 17 modules, it is equipped with a liquid cooling system and is accompanied by a heat pump.
The Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor incorporates an 11 kW charger (AC) and is compatible with fast charging at 250 kW. Note, the SUV has two-way charging (Vehicle to Grid or V2G).
The embedded operating system is based on Android Automotive, the famous OS co-developed with Google and compatible with remote updates, or over the air (OTA) in English.
Finally, the Polestar 3 is loaded with sensors of all kinds: five radars, five external cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors. The optional Pilot Package will also allow you to have a lidar, three cameras, four ultrasonic sensors and a cleaning function for the front and rear cameras. The manufacturer specifies that the cabin also benefits from a radar capable of detecting movements over a range of less than one millimeter.