Polestar revealed their first standalone model, the 1, last month. Formerly the performance division of Volvo, Polestar has now announced the commencement of construction of its all-new Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China.
The Polestar 1 will be produced in this state-of-the-art facility. The plant has a challenging nine-month construction plan as it is promised to start tooling by mid-2018. The parent-company Geely Automotive Holding has hired the Snohetta architects from Norway in order to make the new plant the “most environmentally-responsible car factory in China”. They also want their new facility to be one of the most efficient in the world, targeting the Gold status in the globally-recognised LEED ratings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
The Polestar Production Centre is currently targeting to build a maximum of 500 units of the 1 per year. The facility will also include a special customer experience centre. It seems viable, given Polestar is a newly-found carmaker and needs to attract as many customers by showcasing their prowess at such experience centre. This centre will be staffed by experts with a special inbuilt customer test track to enable the potential customers to experience the car better.
Thomas Ingenlath, chief executive officer of Polestar, commenting on the occasion, said; “Following the successful launch of the new Polestar brand in October, construction of the new Polestar Production Centre is the next step in turning our plans into reality. We are building a Production Centre that is a reflection of our brand. A facility that is modern, progressive, technically advanced and environmentally responsible. The Polestar Production Centre will be an embodiment of the Polestar brand.”
Following the roll-out of the 1, the Swedish carmaker will shift focus on the new models which will reportedly be called 2 and 3. They will completely ditch the IC engines and will be powered solely by electric powertrain. The production of 2 will commence in late 2019 and it will rival the Tesla Model 3 since it will be a volume product unlike the 1. Meanwhile, the 3 is speculated to be a high-riding vehicle given the growing demands for SUVs and crossover across all the automotive markets. Volvo and its parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding, have announced plans to invest 640 million Euros in the development of the Polestar brand.
