Polestar has officially started series production of its second all-electric model, the Polestar 4, at the Hangzhou Bay factory in China operated by Geely Holding. And the electric performance brand has big plans for this crossover to become its mainstream mega-hit.
The first customer deliveries in China are expected before the end of 2023. The next step will be the official launch of the Polestar 4 in all of the other current Polestar markets in early 2024, and the start of customer deliveries internationally next year too.
The Polestar 4, called an SUV coupé, sits between the Polestar 2 sedan and Polestar 3 flagship in terms of size and price. The model was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2023. It’s equipped with a 102-kilowatt-hour battery pack and is promised to offer a driving range of about 373 miles (600 km.) The first production car that rolled off the assembly line this week is finished in a white color called Snow with the signature “Swedish Gold” details of the Performance Pack.
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Right now, Chinese production would mean stiff tariffs on the Polestar 4 if it came to America. But Polestar is getting around this in the second half of 2025 by adding additional production at the Renault Korea Motors (RKM) joint-venture plant owned by Polestar’s parent company, Renault and Samsung. Those Korean-built Polestar 4s will be the ones sold in North America, escaping the tariff problem.
Meanwhile, in 2024, the lineup will be joined by the Polestar 3 model. That model also will be produced in two places: in Q1 2024 in China, and in the summer of 2024 in the United States. The year 2024 will be especially fruitful for new Polestar electric cars because the Polestar 5 is also expected to be launched next year, while the Polestar 6 is still a few years away now with a release date set for 2026.
“The first Polestar 4 rolling off the production line today is the culmination of hard work from countless colleagues and partners. Polestar 4 stands out in design and performance, a remarkable SUV coupé in many ways,” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said in a news release. “It is the first Polestar to feature a virtual rear window with a world-class digital rear-view mirror. This car plays a very important role in our growing line-up of exclusive performance EVs. It illustrates the value of our diversified and asset-light approach, making use of our partner and major shareholder’s development and manufacturing expertise.”
It’s worth noting that the new models are very important for the updated business plan, as the company hopes to achieve break-even in 2025 with a target annual electric car sales volume of 155,000-165,000 via its four models.