Polestar is developing its own platform to be introduced in 2024 in the 5 hatchback, the automaker said on Tuesday.
Until now, the Swedish electric performance brand has relied on donor platforms from Volvo, which shares the same Geely parent company. The Polestar 1 uses Volvo's SPA platform for mid-size cars and the Polestar 2 uses Volvo's CMA platform for compact cars. In both cases, the platforms were originally developed for cars with internal-combustion engines.
The platform debuting in the 5 hatchback will be a Polestar-exclusive design. The platform is being developed for dedicated electric vehicles and will feature bonded aluminum construction, which brings weight and strength benefits compared to more conventional steel construction. A vehicle with low weight and rigidity means improved range and handling.
Thanks to material advances and new production methods, Polestar boasts the 5, a large four-door hatch to rival the Porsche Taycan and high-end versions of the Tesla Model S, will have better torsional rigidity than some two-door sports cars and even some supercars—which is important considering Polestar sees itself as competition for Porsche. At the same time, the platform will result in a body-in-white (the platform and combined body) that weighs less than some cars in smaller segments, the automaker said.
Polestar bonded aluminum platform debuting in 2024 in Polestar 5
Bonded aluminum is a construction process normally reserved for low-volume exotics, as it's traditionally quite labor intensive. Polestar claims to have developed a faster construction process, where the platform and body are built in unison. The development was spearheaded at Polestar's U.K. engineering center, which is built up of engineers who previously worked for Formula One teams or exotic car brands.
“Our UK R&D team is one of Polestar’s greatest assets,” Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar's CEO, said in a statement. “Their mix of engineering and technological expertise enables us to develop advanced, lightweight sports car technology with a creative mindset and a spirit that embraces innovative engineering.”
The Polestar 5 is the production version of Polestar's Precept concept car unveiled in 2020. Teasers suggest a design very close to the concept, though minus some of the wilder elements like rear-opening coach doors.
While the 5 is only due in 2024, Polestar will launch two more models before then. One will be the 3 mid-size SUV, which debuts later this year and is a sibling to Volvo's upcoming replacement for the XC90. The other will be the 4 compact crossover, which is due in 2023 and will most likely end up as a sibling to Volvo's C40 Recharge.
