Geely moves ahead with Polestar 2 production amid pandemic

MANILA: The development of Polestar 2 has officially started in the Geely Luqiao plant in China. Polestar is the electric car brand of Geely. The plant is moving ahead with manufacture for initial distribution to Europe, followed by China and North America.

According to Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, "In the face of the Covid-19 crisis, the world is facing  tremendous turmoil. Under these challenging conditions, the company will start the production of the EV immediately. It will include a strong emphasis on the well-being and safety of their people. This is considered a significant achievement, and the outcome of immense efforts from the production workers and the supply chain security team."

The Luqiao plant, operated by Volvo Cars and owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding, is an indicator of how Polestar utilizes the know-how of its parent firms.

Ingenlath also added that in Luqiao, being able to manufacture the EV means that the plant is capable of bringing Polestar 2 to the market from the very beginning. The production of the vehicle takes into account high construction and quality standards.

Polestar enjoys unique engineering and technical synergies with Volvo Cars, thereby benefiting from substantial economies of scale. These synergies enable the manufacture, development, and design of electric performance vehicles with an independent brand.

Polestar 2 has more to offer when it comes to the uniqueness of its design features. The EV includes a deep, hexagonal gear shifter equipped with a well-lighted Polestar emblem in the middle plus rear lights covering the entire width of the automobile and more.

Polestar 2 also adjusts accordingly to its owner. Through the introduction of the desired seating position and desired home screen applications of the owner, the car recognizes its owner through his or her phone and adapts to it. It is also the first electric vehicle in the world to have an Android-powered infotainment system with a built-in Google Play Store, Google Maps, and Google Assistant. It also features two electric motors at the axle and wheel, as well as natural speech recognition.

An optional Performance Pack brings the driving dynamics of the responsive Polestar 2 to the next level. The EV puts out 408hp and 660Nm. The all-wheel drive vehicle has a 78kWh battery pack that allows 470 km (WLTP) of range.

In 2017, Polestar unveiled the Polestar 1. The model is regarded as the longest hybrid car in the world. This low-volume Electric Performance Hybrid GT features a 1,000Nm and electric-only range of 124 km (WLTP).

Polestar 3 will complete the portfolio as a complete electric performance SUV in the future.

Polestar 2 had its initial reveal in February 2019 and is available in 10 international markets, particularly in North America, China, and Europe. Initially available for reservation, including a refundable deposit, bookings for final orders are now opened linearly for each launch market.

Customer deliveries will start on a market-by-market basis in the summer of 2020 according to the initial schedule, but is expected to be impacted by the pandemic.

An electric car from BYD has already been launched and is being sold in the Philippines.