After months of anticipation, Polestar has pulled the entire sheet off its first-ever electric SUV, the Polestar 3. Today we have a multitude of new details surrounding the SUV to share, including estimated range, performance specs, and starting price. The Polestar 3 will also eventually be built in the US, begging the question whether some iteration of it will be able to qualify for federal tax credits.

Polestar is an EV-centric automotive brand launched in 2017 as a venture co-owned by Volvo Cars Group and Geely Holding. The automaker currently sells two electrified vehicles – the PHEV Polestar 1 and the all-electric Polestar 2 – but there are at least four more on the way.

The two EVs above share plenty of Volvo DNA, but Polestar has been working to deliver a new bespoke breed of EV models beginning with the Polestar 3 SUV. It will be followed by a Polestar 4 SUV in 2023 and the the Polestar 5 in 2024, based upon Polestar’s original concept EV, the Precept.

Most recently, Polestar revealed its O₂ roadster concept will also enter production as the Polestar 6, but enough about the future. Let’s focus on the here and now, and that includes the Polestar 3, its pricing, and our first look at its interior. Check it out.

Polestar 3 standard features and performance specs

According to its press release, the Polestar 3 will begin deliveries next year, beginning with a dual motor long range trim. For the first model year versions, Polestar will include the Plus Pack and Pilot Pack fitted as standard.

The Plus pack includes a 25-speaker audio system from Bowers & Wilkins with 3D surround sound and Dolby Atmos capability, soft-closing doors, an electric steering column, and a heated steering wheel.

The Pilot pack includes a head-up display, Park Assist Pilot and the Pilot Assist driver assistance system. In Q2 of 2023, customers will also be able to order a Pilot Pack add-on that includes LiDAR and a control unit from NVIDIA, preparing the Polestar 3 for autonomous capabilities in the future.

For an additional $6,000, customers can add the Performance Pack, which ups the SUV’s torque and horsepower as you’ll see in the specs below. This pack also includes unique 22-inch forged alloy wheels, Pirelli P-Zero tires, and signature “Swedish gold” details. Here are those additional, pertinent specs.

Interior

Moving inward, the Polestar 3 boasts a level of awareness to sustainability its creators are becoming quite well known for. Interior materials include MicroTech upholstery, animal welfare-certified leather, and fully-traceable wool upholstery. Polestar states then when 3 production begins, it will complete a life cycle assessment to find additional ways to reduce its carbon footprint throughout.

The Polestar 3 will be the first vehicle to feature centralized computing from the NVIDIA DRIVE core computer, serving as its AI brain. Infotainment will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Cockpit Platform to deliver high-definition displays, premium sound quality and “seamless connectivity.”

The SUV’s OS is Android Automotive evolving from software that debuted in the Polestar 2. It allows for OTA updates, enabling continuous software improvements and rollouts of new features. Five radar modules, five external cameras, and twelve external ultrasonic sensors to support numerous advanced safety features inside and out of the EV and are complemented by two closed-loop driver monitoring cameras that can trigger warning messages, sounds, and even an emergency stop when detecting a distracted, drowsy, or unconscious driver.

Polestar 3 to be built in US, but may not qualify for tax credits

Initial production of the Polestar is expected to begin at Volvo Cars’ facility in Chengdu, China beginning in mid-2023 – first deliveries are expected in Q4 of 2023, about a year from now. However, Polestar is planning additional Polestar 3 manufacturing on US soil, the automaker’s first model to be built outside of China. Per CEO Thomas Ingenlath:

Polestar 3 is a powerful electric SUV that appeals to the senses with a distinct, Scandinavian design and excellent driving dynamics. It also takes our manufacturing footprint to the next level, bringing Polestar production to the United States. We are proud and excited to expand our portfolio as we continue our rapid growth.

Polestar states that US manufacturing will take place at Volvo Cars’ facility in Ridgeville, South Carolina toward the middle of 2024, with local deliveries expected soon thereafter. From that point onward, the automaker says all Polestar 3 production for North America and “select other markets” will originate from the US.

By being assembled on US soil, the Polestar 3 could eventually qualify for federal EV tax credits under revised terms of the recently signed Inflation Reduction Act. However, its current MSRP of nearly $84,000 already surpasses the price threshold of $80k for electric SUVs that will kick in on January 1, 2023.

In a July interview, Ingenlath divulged that the automaker intended to price the Polestar 3 between $75,000 and $110,000. Its initial MSRP for the dual motor long range version certainly fits in that pricing frame, but with previous intentions to aim lower, could we see a lower priced version of the SUV that qualifies for tax credits? Perhaps a stripped down, single-motor version of the Polestar 3 can get down below $80k, potentially qualifying for up to $7,500 back from Uncle Sam.

For now, the automaker’s focus is on getting this initial dual motor version out into the world next year, but we’d surmise that additional versions, whether priced higher or lower, should emerge at some point. Our next task will be to get behind the wheel of Polestar’s first SUV and report back.

Until then, here’s the world premiere video of the Polestar 3:

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