Commentary

Polestar Plans Additions To Lineup, Ships To Hertz

There’s a reason the Polestar 1 is the “halo” of the lineup.

I recently had the opportunity to test drive one for a couple of nights, and to say it was a force to be reckoned with is an understatement. 

The $155,000 electric performance hybrid GT was the first production vehicle from the electric performance brand, which was established in 2017 by Volvo and Geely Car Groups.

Without going into incriminating detail, let's just say it really is capable of 0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds and a combined top speed of 155 mph.

To break it down, the combustion engine produces 326 hp, electric motors provide 232 hp and C-ISG (Crank-Integrated Starter Generator) adds an additional 71 hp for a total of a whopping 619 hp.

The Polestar lineup currently also includes the Polestar 2 (an all-electric vehicle and the first volume vehicle for the brand). The eventual Polestar 3 will be a coupe-style SUV slotted between the 1 and 2 in terms of price and positioning.

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks for the brand. The company also began trading on the Nasdaq in New York as of June 24 and will ring the opening bell tomorrow, an event that will be live-streamed

Polestar is also showing a development prototype of the Polestar 5 in public for the first time at the 2022 Good-wood Festival of Speed (June 23-26). Polestar 5 is a high-performance electric four-door GT.

Polestar’s YouTube documentary series shows how the company is transforming the Precept concept into the production Polestar 5.

Polestar cars are sold in their own standalone showroom “Spaces,” not at a Volvo dealership. Or you can order a car online via the Polestar website.

Polestar recently announced record sales for the year to date, and robust global customer orders for Polestar 2 of over 32,000, an increase of 290% versus the same period in 2021. 

Polestar also increased its presence to 25 markets, up from 19 at the end of 2021, supported with nearly 130 retail locations. 

By 2023, the company plans that its cars will be available in an aggregate of 30 markets. The company’s long-term plan is to increase annual sales to approximately 290,000 cars by the end of 2025.

By 2025 the company aims to sell 290,000 cars per year, 10 times as many as it sold in 2021, says Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar. 

Consumers will soon be able to rent the Polestar 1 and 2 via Hertz as part of the agreement announced in April. Polestar will supply the global car rental giant with 65,000 cars over the next five years.

The partnership between Polestar and Hertz is one of the largest single orders for electric cars ever made, according to the companies. The start of deliveries signifies Polestar’s operational capability as a relatively mature brand in a space heavily populated by early-stage start-ups.

Polestar 2 is also featured in the current Hertz “Let’s go” marketing campaign, further reinforcing the partnership between the two companies.

The Hertz agreement includes forthcoming Polestar models such as the Polestar 3 electric SUV.  Hertz is also adding the Polestar 1 electric performance hybrid to its “dream fleet” in select markets so others can experience the power, not just automotive journalists and the wealthy.

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