While the Polestar 3 has yet to be unveiled, the company has announced it plans to build the electric SUV in the United States.
The Swedish automaker said the “aerodynamic electric performance” SUV will be built at Volvo’s manufacturing facility in Ridgeville, South Carolina. Polestar was launched in 2017 by Volvo and Geely Holdings.
Along with being built in the US, it will also be available for customers to purchase in North America.
“Polestar 3 will be built in America, for our American customers,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s Chief Executive Officer. “I remember the great response when I first shared Polestar’s vision here in the USA and I am proud that our first SUV will be manufactured in South Carolina. From now on, the USA is no longer an export market but a home market.”
Polestar says it hopes it will strengthen its brand presence in the US by building the cars locally, as well as having a positive impact on the environment.
“Production in the USA reduces delivery times as well as the environmental impact associated with shipping vehicles around the world. It will even have a positive impact on the price of Polestar 3,” says Dennis Nobelius, Chief Operating Officer at Polestar. “All of this makes the brand even more competitive in the critical American sales market.”
Polestar has so far released two cars, the Polestar 1 and Polestar 2. The Polestar 1 is a two door hybrid-electric coupe that was produced in limited numbers from 2017.
The Polestar 2 is the company’s answer to the Tesla Model 3. The four-door electric sedan began deliveries in Canada late last year, coming equipped with a 78kWh battery pack good for 375km (233 miles) on a full charge.
Production of the Polestar 3 SUV is expected to begin in 2022, with an official unveiling later this year.