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Jonathan M. Gitlin - Oct 12, 2022 5:00 pm UTC

After a sublime-but-limited-production GT and a stylish fastback sedan, Polestar is launching its third vehicle, the aptly named Polestar 3. It's a performance-oriented SUV on the larger side of the spectrum, built on a new EV-only platform developed together with part-owner and Geely stablemate Volvo.

Polestar opens its order books for the Polestar 3 today, but if you push that button, be prepared for a bit of a wait before you take delivery, as the first cars may only reach these shores toward the end of next year. But Polestar is pretty sure this one will resonate with a North American audience, and local production of the Polestar 3 in Ridgeville, South Carolina, should begin in 2024.

"Polestar 3 is a powerful electric SUV that appeals to the senses with a distinct, Scandinavian design and excellent driving dynamics. It also takes our manufacturing footprint to the next level, bringing Polestar production to the United States. We are proud and excited to expand our portfolio as we continue our rapid growth," said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.

When the Polestar 3 arrives in 2023, it will be one of the first EVs to use the new SPA2 architecture, which will also see action in new, larger electric Volvos like the EX90.

At first Polestar will just have one configuration of the Polestar 3, starting at $83,900 for what it says is a "loaded" long-range dual motor spec, in this case a twin-motor, all-wheel drive EV with 489 hp (365 kW) and 620 lb-ft (840 Nm). That should be sufficient to propel the big SUV to 60 mph in under five seconds, but if you feel the need to shave off another three-tenths of a second, the $6,000 performance pack ups things to 517 hp (386 kW) and 671 lb-ft (910 Nm). Top speed for both is 130 mph (210 km/h), unlike the Volvo cousins, which will be limited to 112 mph (180 km/h).

That might be the few options at launch, as the Pilot and Plus options packages are standard for the first model year.

The motors are fed by a 111-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which Polestar says should be sufficient for an EPA range of 300 miles, or a WLTP range of 610 km. (The two test procedures differ significantly and produce quite different results.) The pack uses prismatic cells, and a heat pump is standard to improve efficiency in cold weather as well as to perform battery preconditioning before fast charging. The Polestar 3 will also be capable of bidirectional charging so that the EV can do things like feed energy back into your house or grid in the future.

Performance involves more than just going fast in a straight line, and Polestar has endowed the Polestar 3 with torque vectoring at the rear axle (like the Polestar 1) as well as actively controlled air suspension.

A particularly interesting aspect of the Polestar 3 is that it will be one of the first vehicles on the road to simplify its internal computing network. There's a central core computer from Nvidia that replaces discrete black boxes of singular function (although probably not all of them just yet), which should, if nothing else, simplify the wiring.

But the Nvidia brain will also process data from five radar sensors, five cameras, and 12 ultrasonic sensors to interpret the outside world, as well as a pair of internal cameras used for driver monitoring. From Q2 2023, there will also be an optional upgrade aimed at eventually providing autonomous driving capabilities. This adds a lidar sensor as well as three more cameras and four ultrasonic sensors, plus an additional Nvidia control unit.

Meanwhile, expect more Android Automotive infotainment, now powered by a new Qualcomm snapdragon platform.

Production for the initial launch markets—North America, China, and Europe—will begin next year in Chengdu, China, with deliveries planned to begin in Q4 2023. But by mid-2024, we should be able to buy locally made Polestar 3s, which will be built in South Carolina.

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