WE CAN SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE when we report that there is considerable interest in new brand, Polestar. And it’s been confirmed with the Swedish electric performance car brand reporting almost 7000 expressions of interest in the Polestar 3 since the electric SUV’s unveiling in October 2022.
Polestar 3 is planned for launch in Australia from Q1 2024 with two versions, the Long Range Dual motor, priced from $132,900 (plus on road costs), and the Long Range Dual motor with Performance Pack, starting at $141,900 (plus on road costs).
The list of standard equipment in Polestar 3 is extensive, with few options for easy configuration. All versions include air suspension, a full-length panoramic glass roof, LED lighting inside and out, retractable door handles with proximity sensing, and 21-inch alloy wheels. The Plus Pack and Pilot Pack are fitted as standard for the first model year and include a raft of premium, luxury, and convenience features like a 25-speaker audio system from Bowers & Wilkins with 3D surround sound and Dolby Atmos capability, soft-closing doors, head-up display and Pilot Assist.
The dual-motor configuration with power bias towards the rear produces a total of 360kW and 840Nm of torque. With the optional Performance Pack, total output is upped to 380kW and 910Nm.
Adjustable one-pedal drive is included, as well as an electric Torque Vectoring Dual Clutch function on the rear axle – an evolution of what was first developed for Polestar 1. A decoupling function is also available for the rear electric motor, allowing the car to run only on the front electric motor to save energy under certain circumstances.
Advanced chassis control is provided by dual-chamber air suspension as standard, allowing Polestar 3 to adapt between comfort and dynamic suspension characteristics, and the car can adjust its active damper velocity electronically once every two milliseconds (500Hz).
A 111kWh battery pack provides Polestar 3 with generous driving range of up to 610 km. The lithium-ion battery features a prismatic cell design housed in a protective aluminium case with boron steel reinforcement and liquid cooling. A heat pump is included as standard, helping Polestar 3 utilise ambient heat for climate- and battery preconditioning.
Polestar 3 is also equipped for bidirectional charging, enabling future potential for vehicle-to-grid and plug-and-charge capabilities.
Technological tour de force
Polestar 3 is the brand’s first vehicle to feature centralised computing with the NVIDIA DRIVE core computer, the A.I. ‘brain’ of the Polestar 3 which processes data from the car’s multiple sensors and cameras to enable advanced driver-assistance safety features and driver monitoring. Further collaborations with industry-leading safety technology partners like Zenseact and Smart Eye provide Polestar 3 with cutting-edge Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology that integrates seamlessly within this system.
As standard, Polestar 3 features a total of five radar modules, five external cameras and twelve external ultrasonic sensors to support numerous advanced safety features. The SmartZone below the front aero wing collects several of the forward-facing sensors, a heated radar module and camera, and now becomes a signature of Polestar design.
Australian customers are also able to order the optional Pilot Pack with LiDAR from Luminar, which adds an additional control unit from NVIDIA, three cameras, four ultrasonic sensors and cleaning for the front- and rear-view cameras, providing accurate real-time data about the car’s surroundings especially in the long-range field. This enables enhanced 3D scanning of the car’s surroundings in greater detail and helps prepare the car for autonomous driving. Vehicles ordered with LiDAR are expected to arrive from Q3 2024.
Inside, two closed-loop driver monitoring cameras bring leading eye tracking technology from Smart Eye to a Polestar for the first time, geared towards safer driving. The cameras monitor the driver’s eyes and can trigger warning messages, sounds and even an emergency stop function when detecting a distracted, drowsy or disconnected driver.
Polestar 3 is also the first car in the world to feature four interior radar sensors, capable of detecting sub-millimetre movements in the cabin to help protect against accidentally leaving children or pets inside. The system is also linked to the climate control system to help avoid heat stroke or hypothermia.
Android Automotive OS is the in-car operating system controlled via a 14.5-inch centre display. Co-developed with Google, it is an evolution of the system in Polestar 2 – the first car in the world with Google built-in – and will feature over-the-air (OTA) updates for software upgrades and the introduction of new features without visiting a service centre.
The infotainment system is powered by a next-generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform from Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. As a central component of the Snapdragon Digital Chassis – a comprehensive set of open and scalable cloud-connected automotive platforms – the Snapdragon Cockpit Platform will be utilised to provide immersive in-vehicle experiences with its high-performance capabilities to deliver high-definition displays, premium quality surround sound and seamless connectivity throughout the vehicle.
Commitment to sustainability continues
Polestar’s commitment to transparency to help consumers make informed decisions continues unabated in Polestar 3.
Following on from Polestar 2, which was the first vehicle globally to use Blockchain technology to trace the Cobalt used in its batteries, Polestar will expand its partnership with traceability partner, Circulor, and use Blockchain to trace Cobalt, Lithium, Mica, Nickel and Leather in Polestar 3.
A complete life-cycle assessment (LCA) will be completed on Polestar 3 when production begins. Subsequent assessments will follow through its life cycle and work will continue to constantly find ways of reducing its carbon footprint.
Polestar 3 features three alternatives when it comes to upholstery: animal welfare secured Nappa leather, bio-attributed MicroTech vinyl, and animal welfare certified wool. Each material has been carefully selected and developed to create a more sustainable expression of premium.
Made from renewable vinyl and recycled polyester textile, the bio-attributed MicroTech is a vegan alternative to leather and comes standard in Polestar 3. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a multi-purpose plastic commonly made from fossil resources and used for synthetic vinyl materials.
The MicroTech upholstery, by contrast, is made with 100 percent fossil-free, bio-attributed PVC, in which the crude oil component has been replaced with pine oil from certified renewable sources.
The animal welfare certified wool is made from animal welfare certified yarn that comes from farms with a responsible approach to managing their lands and animals. The yarn contains 80 percent certified wool and 20 percent recycled content.
Available as an option, Nappa leather, produced by premium leather maker Bridge of Weir, is 100 percent traceable, chrome-free, and animal welfare secured. The raw hides used – a by-product of the food industry – are sourced locally from responsible suppliers in the UK and Ireland, which are two of the highest-rated territories globally in the Animal Protection Index.
Commenting on the pricing announcement, Head of Polestar Australia, Samantha Johnson, says: “Polestar 3 is a highly anticipated addition to the Polestar range in this market. Last year, SUVs represented 53 percent of new vehicle sales in Australia, a tally that has more than doubled since 2010.”
“We know Australians want more electric vehicles that are ‘fit for purpose’ and with Polestar 3 we will deliver just that – a new, premium benchmark for driving excellence, technological integration and sustainability for the electric age.”
seniordriveraus comments
Polestar’s commitment to sustainability is commendable, and there is no doubting Samantha Johnson’s sincerity and energy. She says, “We are doing our part, convincing others inside and outside the automotive industry to get on board and accelerate the process.”
Launching a new brand is a big ask, and takes time. We’ll be interested to see if those people who expressed interest in the new Polestar 3 maintain their enthusiasm now the fairly hefty price has been released.