Volvo announces launch of Polestar 2 trial production, on track for 2020 deliveries

Volvo has revamped its Polestar brand as an electric vehicle brand, and after the more expensive Polestar 1 PHEV, the Polestar 2 is expected to be the brand’s first mass-market and all-electric product.

Now the Swedish automaker says that trial production for Polestar 2 has started in China, and deliveries are on track for 2020.

When unveiling the Polestar 2 earlier this year, the company said that it will be equipped with a 78 kWh battery pack to enable 275 miles of range for the launch edition — coming a little below the guidance of ~300 miles depending on what standard you are using.

During its first year of production, the vehicle will be offered as a “launch edition” for €59,900 ($68,200), which is a lot more than what people expected.

After that, it will have a more reasonable starting price of €39,900 ($45,400).

It’s going to be able to charge at up to 150 kW.

At the time, Polestar confirmed that it is bringing the electric vehicle to production in China in 2020 for global distribution.

Now Thomas Ingenlath, chief executive officer of Polestar, announced that trial production is ongoing:

Polestar 2 tooling trial prototypes are now rolling off the final production line in the Luqiao factory, and so nearing series production. Cars will be with customers in the first half of 2020, as planned. We will continue to make good on our promises.

The company says that production is on track for deliveries of the Polestar 2 next year.

Production of the Polestar 1 is also ongoing at the company’s Chengdu facility:

Here’s Polestar’s full press release about the announcement:

Polestar goes from promise to production with Polestar 2 prototypes on line in Luqiao factory

• Polestar 2 tooling trial prototype series on schedule in Luqiao factory before customer deliveries in 2020
• Production of Polestar 1 customer cars ramps up at bespoke Chengdu facility
• Polestar 1 available to order now, Polestar 2 available for reservation

Polestar, the electric performance car brand, highlights its transition from brand idea to operational OEM with tooling trial production of Polestar 2 on schedule in the Luqiao factory in China, in preparation for customer deliveries in 2020.

This second prototype phase is designed to prove vehicle integrity and process quality to ensure customer vehicles delivered in 2020 match Polestar’s exacting standards.

“Polestar 2 tooling trial prototypes are now rolling off the final production line in the Luqiao factory, and so nearing series production,” comments Thomas Ingenlath, chief executive officer of Polestar. “Cars will be with customers in the first half of 2020, as planned. We will continue to make good on our promises.”

Also in China, Polestar 1 customer cars are rolling off the production line at the Chengdu facility which was inaugurated in August 2019. Designed by internationally renowned architecture and design company, Snøhetta, the facility continues to develop.

The next milestone in Polestar’s journey is the opening of a test track within the grounds of the factory. Dedicated to vehicle development and quality assurance, the track reduces the amount of transport required for vehicle assessment. This step to diminish the associated environmental footprint is another part of the brand’s promise to accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility across the industry.

In line with the brand’s digital-first retail model, orders for Polestar 1 and reservations for Polestar 2 are being taken at Polestar.com. Prospective Polestar 2 buyers can reserve their place in the queue and guarantee 2020 delivery with a fully refundable deposit.