Polestar 2 on way
● Boss confirms performance brand is readying electric compact saloon ● Badged Polestar 2
£ 35k Tesla Model 3 rival coming from Volvo performance brand
POLESTAR, the new standalone performance brand of Volvo, has signalled its intention to take on Tesla with its next model, the Polestar 2.
The compact saloon, expected to be based on the Volvo 40.2 concept (above), will be revealed towards the end of next year and priced from 40,000 Euros (£35,000) according to company boss Thomas Ingenlath. The Polestar 2 will be a fully electric vehicle and is set to be based on the same platform that underpins the new Volvo XC40 SUV.
Speaking to Auto Express, Polestar chief executive officer Ingenlath said: “Polestar 2 will join the competition with Tesla Model 3, so people should have an understanding of the size and the price tag as well. It will start around 40,000 Euros (£35,000).
“We are not saying it’s a Tesla killer; we are here to vividly compete with them in the market. We will launch Polestar 2 in the second half of 2019 and production will begin around the start of 2020.”
Around two years later, the brand will launch the Polestar 3, which Ingenlath describes as “an SUV with a low, aerodynamic silhouette”.
Beyond these initial three models, plans for the rest of the product portfolio are still being drawn up. “With the range of 1, 2 and 3 you get an idea of the kind of car we are after, and that can be applied to various categories,” Ingenlath added.
As well as allowing customers to buy the cars outright online or through one of its 80 planned stores, Polestar will sell its models through a subscription service. Buyers will pay a flat monthly fee that covers the cost of the car, servicing and insurance over a two or three-year period. Once the contract is up, the car is simply handed back to Polestar.