Polestar is a high-performance car brand with some electrification (hybrid and electric), owned by Volvo, based in the Swedish city of Gothenburg. In turn, Volvo is a subsidiary of Geely, of Chinese origin, and, for this reason, the Polestar factory is located in Chengdu (China).
History of Polestar: From Pole Position to Electric Revolution
Polestar began in 2009 as a Volvo trainer, signing the variants of high performance. After acquiring Polestar in 2015, Volvo announced, in 2017, the cleavage of Polestar to manufacture his cars and compete against marks as Tesla.
At the moment, Polestar is commercialized only in 9 markets (China, US, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Holland, United Kingdom, Canada, and Belgium). Therefore, Polestar is not yet commercialized in Spain, something that is expected for the coming years.
History of the Brand Polestar
The company that gave rise to Polestar began in 1996 under “Flash Engineering,” created by the Swedish driver Jan Nilsson. They competed with Volvo cars in the Swedish Tourism Championship (STCC), reaping more than 100 victories between 1996 and 2005. In 2005, Jan Nilsson sold the company at Christian Dahl, which was renamed Polystar. In 2009, Polestar became an official Volvo trainer under the Polestar Performace division.
After winning the Swedish Tourism Championship with a Volvo C30 in 2009, the Nordic company presented its prototype in 2010, a Volvo C30 Polestar Concept. This car scored the line of the future Polestar models.
Two years later, in 2012, they launched the production vehicle, called Volvo C30 Polestar Limited Edition: only 250 units for the US market, with 255 HP and 370 nm; Far from the 405 HP and 510 nm that promised the prototype. Three months before, Volvo also launched the S60 Polestar, with 508 cv.
In 2015, Volvo acquired Polestar Performance with the idea of equating Polystar at the level of what is AMG for Mercedes-Benz; Moment in which Polestar Racing became called Cyan Racing, still owned by Christian Dahl.
Finally, in 2017, Volvo announced that Polestar would have autonomy and manufacture its own electric cars and high performance. The Polestar products would have a more wonderful personality than the mere fact of staying, as then, as versions of the Volvo range.
They are marketed under the Brand Polestar, have the Polestar emblem, and with electrical and hybrid mechanics that go on the sport line of the future. Polestar continues to enjoy the technology and engineering of Volvo.
In addition, Polestar continues to sign the most sporting models of Volvo under the Polestar Engineered division. We talk about Hybrid Volvo models, with more than 400 CV of power and significant improvements in chassis, aesthetics, and equipment, which will immediately be positioned above the R-Design line.
The first model of Polestar, called the Polestar 1, is a coupe based on the Volvo Concept Coupé with 2 + 2 seats and 600 HP power, developed by a system with high-performance hybrid-plug-in technology.
Volvo ensures that half of the components and technology of Polestar 1 are new invoices. The second model of the brand, called Polestar 2, is a saloon with an air of Crossover, 100% electric, with 408 HP and 500 kilometres of autonomy. Later, a third model, the Polestar 3, will be a fantastic electric SUV.
The philosophy of Polestar is to manufacture electric cars, who do not lose the pleasure of driving and have a sports design. This is combined with a Renting type property and Premium Services, where the relationship with the brand and orders can be done online.
Polestar business model
Polestar has adopted a new market approach with the possibility of ordering online and subscriptions as the main offer. Polestar aims to offer its vehicles through a model of renting, with a monthly payment.
Unlike traditional renting, the subscription includes many other services that Volvo considers valid for its customers: insurance, maintenance, collections, deliveries, and replacement cars. Polestar intends to redefine the experience of owning a car. However, the Polestar models can be purchased conventional and be available under this subscription model.
Instead of dealers, the brand aims to create commercial spaces in city areas where people meet, and customers can experience the brand and talk to experts.
Double nationality of Polestar: Swedish and China
The Polestar production centre is located in Chengdu (China). This factory aspires to be the most responsible automobile factory in the environment in China and one of the most efficient in the world. The Polestar production centre also includes a customer experience centre with a test track to allow customers to drive Polystar vehicles to the limit.
This location is understood due to Geely, the Chinese manufacturer who acquired the Swedish brand previously owned by Ford. In addition, now part of the research and development of Volvo battery technology is centralized China.
