Polestar 3 production kicks off in China, US builds will soon follow

The Polestar 3 has officially begun production in Chengdu, China, before its first deliveries. The third bespoke model, which is also Polestar’s first electric SUV, has a lot riding on its success in multiple markets. It will also be built in the US, and Polestar provided an update on that progress.

The Polestar 3 is a new SUV from the Geely-owned EV brand, initially announced in October 2022. It will be the first SUV from Polestar ($PSNY) and its first model built on US soil – South Carolina, to be exact.

That said, initial deliveries will come from production in China, where the Polestar 3 siblings are currently built. The SUV was initially scheduled to launch in Q4 2023, but Polestar delayed its arrival to Q1 2024, citing the need for more time to develop the software used in its platform shared with Volvo Cars.

Volvo recently announced it will be selling a majority of its stake in Polestar, cutting some of the EV automaker’s Swedish roots going forward. Still, Polestar intends to push ahead with China’s Geely. This next chapter begins with the Polestar 3, and production is now up and running overseas.

Polestar 3 production in US passes initial tests

According to an update from Polestar this morning, production of the 3 SUVs is now underway in Chengdu, with additional builds to follow in the US by mid-2024. The automaker reports that the initial production tests at the South Carolina plant have been completed successfully. Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath spoke:

This stunning car takes a significant step forward with start of production marking an important milestone on our journey from a one- to three-car company this year. We have also achieved launch readiness at the factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina, and are well on track with our plans to start manufacturing Polestar 3 in the USA.

Being built on two separate continents, the Polestar 3 will serve markets in Asia, Europe, and the US to begin serving markets in Asia, Europe, and the US. It is available to order and starts at an MSRP of around $84,000. With production now underway, the 3 will be followed by a compact SUV called the Polestar 4, then the 5 sports sedan, and the Polestar 6 based on the automaker’s Roadster Concept.