Production of the Electric Performance Polestar 2 Begins in China

author: Eric Walz   

The fully-electric Polestar 2

As the economies in Europe and the U.S. grind to a halt as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, automakers in China are slowly getting ready to go back to work, as the number of new coronavirus cases in the country steadily falls.

One notable development for China's auto industry is the production of the electric Polestar 2, the luxury electric vehicle from the Polestar brand that is set to compete with Tesla in the performance electric category. Polestar announced today that production of the Polestar 2 is now underway in Luqiao, China.

Polestar is the new electric performance car brand jointly owned by Volvo Car Group and Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely). The company is operated by Sweden-based Volvo Cars as a standalone performance EV brand.

The Polestar 2 is the first mass-market model from the Polestar brand and the new EV set to compete with Tesla in the global EV market and in China, which is the world's biggest auto market.

Although the Polestar 2 is being built in China at Geely's factory in Luqiao, the premium EV will be available in ten markets worldwide. Initial deliveries will begin in Europe, followed by China and eventually North America.

The Polestar 2 is filled with cutting edge technology. The EV features an all-wheel-drive setup with dual electric motors powered by a 78 kWh actively cooled lithium-ion battery pack. The 300kW electric powertrain produces 408 horsepower. The vehicle has a WLTP range of 292 miles (470 km) and is being positioned as a direct competitor to the mass-market Tesla Model 3.

Workers inspect a Polestar 2 at Geely's factory in Luqiao, China.

The Polestar 2 is the First Vehicle Powered by Android

The Polestar 2 is also the world's first car to feature a built-in infotainment system powered by Android, featuring Google Assistant, Google Maps and the Google Play Store, which are embedded into the vehicle's infotainment system. The new Android OS for the auto industry comes standard in the Polestar 2.

Deliveries of the Polestar 2 is scheduled to begin this summer starting in Europe and followed by China and North America.

Polestar also plans to offer a subscription model for the Polestar 2. The EV will be offered with an all-inclusive single monthly payment that includes everything from maintenance, insurance, roadside assistance, as well as pick-up and delivery services designed to reinvent the owner experience. All orders and transactions can be completed entirely online.

Polestar launched its first vehicle named the Polestar 1 in 2017. The Polestar 1 is a limited edition, 600 horsepower hybrid EV supercar costing $155,000. The flagship Polestar 1 also serves as a platform for the automaker to show off its innovative technology. 

The production of the Polestar 2 is a bit of good news for China's auto industry. The coronavirus crisis hit China's auto industry hard, disrupting sales and vehicle manufacturing.

The first cases of the virus were reported in Wuhan, where many of China's auto production facilities are located. The Chinese government locked down the region two months ago to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which disrupted the lives of over 50 million people. However, as new coronavirus cases fall to zero, the lockdown is scheduled to be lifted in two weeks.

"The world is facing enormous upheaval in the face of the coronavirus pandemic," said Polestar CEO, Thomas Ingenlath. "We start production now under these challenging circumstances, with a strong focus on the health and safety of our people. This is a great achievement and the result of huge efforts from the staff in the factory and the team securing the supply chain. I have a huge amount of respect for the entire team – thanks to them!"

Polestar's next vehicle will be the Polestar 3, which will join the company's portfolio as a fully electric performance SUV.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.