After some delay, Polestar's 3 midsize SUV is finally in production, the Swedish performance EV brand said on Tuesday.
Production got underway at a Volvo plant in Chengdu, China, earlier this month.
Production is also planned for a Volvo plant in Charleston, South Carolina. Pre-production examples are already being built at the Charleston plant and the first customer examples remain on schedule to roll off the line around mid-2024.
Polestar 3 production was meant to start at the Chengdu plant in the fourth quarter of 2023 but was put on hold due to software-related issues. The same issues also led to delays in the start of production of the related Volvo EX90.
2024 Polestar 3
The EX90 is currently anticipated to start production in the first half of 2024. Like the Polestar 3, the EX90 will be built at both the Chengdu and Charleston plants.
Both SUVs were first shown in the fall of 2022.
They are based on Volvo's new SPA2 platform developed from the onset for EVs but capable of supporting hybrid powertrains. The Polestar 3 comes with a dual-motor electric powertrain delivering 489 hp as standard and 517 hp with an available Performance Pack. Owners can expect 0-60 mph acceleration of 4.9 seconds as standard and 4.6 seconds with the Performance Pack. The top speed is 130 mph in both configurations.
2024 Polestar 3
The sole battery is a 111-kwh unit that Polestar estimates will deliver 300 miles of EPA-rated range.
Order books for the Polestar 3 are already open and pricing in the U.S. starts at $85,300, including a $1,400 destination charge. That's slightly higher than the Volvo's EX90 starting price of $77,990.
Polestar also has the 4 compact crossover in production in China. Additional models in the works include a 5 sedan due for a debut later this year, a 6 roadster due in 2026, and a mystery model dubbed the 7 that will arrive around 2027.
