Polestar Aims to be a Performance Green Car Brand for the Masses

author: Manish Kharinta   

At the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Swedish automaker Volvo showcased Polestar 1, which is an offering from its upcoming green car performance brand. The company took its electrified performance sedan for a lap at the festival. After the lap the company went on to reveal some details about its follow-up offering, the Polestar 2. 

Aesthetically, the car will look like Volvo 40.2 Concept. The company claims that this electrified offering will have an all-electric driving range of 350 miles. It has also been indicated that the price tag of Polestar 2 will fall in the range of $40,000 to $65,000. The competitive pricing range will help the upcoming performance EV compete against the likes of other well-established luxury electric companies in the segment.

In the recent months, we have seen Volvo approach its offerings to make them easily accessible by the masses. The company offers a subscription service for XC40 sport utility vehicle. The automaker has also confirmed that XC40 will be the first vehicle from Volvo to get an electric powertrain.

The company also indicated that next year, will likely mark the launch of Polestar 2. The Swedish car manufacturer predicts a substantial growth in the electric car market and expect that the company will be able to move up to 29 million units each year by the year 2025. 

Production of electric vehicles on such a large scale would mean that the company is targeting a wide consumer base. Polestar is not aiming to release its electrified offerings as a niche product. 

The company has also said that it does not intend on releasing products which are unnecessarily complex and futuristic.

The company believes that in coming years electric mobility will become the broadly accepted standard of transportation instead of a futuristic alternative approach to commuting as it is perceived today. 

Volvo intends on making its cars user-friendly, so they can be easily operated by young families without the need for high technical proficiency. This approach to vehicle development will also help the Swedish carmaker in cost-cutting which will help its offerings become more approachable by a mass consumer base.

Like Volvo, other automakers are also taking the same approach while developing their electric vehicles. The leading name in the segment is Tesla with its Model 3 electric sedan and Jaguar with the I-Pace, whihc are both examples of the popular EVs which are designed to appeal to the masses. 

The sizeable Chinese investment procured by Volvo and Electric Mobility mandates cropping up across the globe make the promise of electric mobility for the masses even more exciting.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.