Polestar, an all-electric car brand that spun out of Volvo, announced that it is going public through a SPAC.
It becomes the latest of many electric car companies that have chosen to go that route over the last year.
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Polestar has once again made the headlines with another unique electric concept – this time in the form of a transporter cart used to move cargo and make deliveries. The project, called Re:Move, began as a mere concept project celebrating industrial designer Konstantin Grcic and ended up becoming an actual working prototype unveiled at IAA Mobility in Munich.
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Electric motorbike brand CAKE has announced the first-ever electric mobility bundle alongside EV automaker Polestar. The two Swedish companies look to provide solutions for urban mobility with a custom version of CAKE’s recently released Makka moped platform, which can be towed behind a Polestar 2 EV and simultaneously charged.
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Polestar has shared new versions of its Polestar 2 sedan with the public in Europe alongside pricing before deliveries begin this month. The expanded Polestar 2 now comes with three powertrain variations on display at IAA Mobility in Munich this week.
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In a refreshing display of transparency, Polestar has publicly shared details of the carbon footprint of its EV models compared to ICE vehicles. With this data, Polestar looks to better educate consumers and build trust as it pertains to emissions.
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With all the talk of robots and AI lately, we felt it topical to showcase the same technology producing art. Polestar has teamed with musician and robotics engineer Moritz Simon Geist to create a whole new type of music. The songs were produced using robots configured from Polestar 2 components alongside actual sounds from the EV itself. You can also sample the music and create a custom soundtrack of your own.
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Swedish EV automaker Polestar has shared big plans for expansion by promising to double its global presence from nine to 18 markets. Furthermore, Polestar has also shared plans to double its retail presence to 100 operational locations, all before the end of 2021.
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Generally speaking, getting overexcited about a concept car is a one-way ticket to bitter disappointment. Why? Because firstly, it may not even make it to production. And secondly, even if it does, it’ll probably look very “different” – aka “worse.” Goodbye massive rims, butterfly doors, and wacky interior with joysticks in place of a wheel. Hello softened edges, cheap plastics and sadness.
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Electrek sat down with Gregor Hembrough, the head of Polestar North America, to discuss the electric automaker’s latest developments, including the upcoming lower-priced 2022 version of the Polestar 2, SPAC deal speculation, and more.
As Polestar makes continued efforts to bring its previously announced Precept concept EV to full production, the Swedish automaker has decided to document the whole process. The first installment of Precept: from Concept to Car has debuted on YouTube, with several more installations to follow throughout the entire development phase.
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Swedish automaker Polestar has announced that its upcoming performance SUV, the Polestar 3, will be built in the US and targeted at American consumers. The all-electric SUV will be manufactured at the Volvo Cars production center in South Carolina and supported by retail “Spaces” across the US.
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Polestar announced today the launch of new variants of the Polestar 2, the Swedish brand’s first all-electric car.
Cheaper and longer range versions are now available.
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EV charging network ChargePoint and automaker Polestar announced what they call a “charging partnership.” The first product of the collaboration will be an integrated charging app for the Polestar 2 EV.
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EV automaker Polestar is now allowing prospective customers to book test drives of its Polestar 2 electric fastback. Its website now lets consumers arrange a visit to a retail location near them. Additionally, the company can also bring the Polestar 2 to your home or office, depending on where you’re located. So far, Polestar has a small retail presence in select US cities compared to other EV automakers.
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Polestar is a bit of an enigma as far as auto companies are concerned. The company, which is a joint venture between Geely and Volvo (which, in turn, is also owned by Geely), operates independently on some fronts from either Geely or Volvo in order to remain nimble. But it also leans heavily on its incestuous parents for infrastructure, talent, and support. I spoke to its North American head, Gregor Hembrough, who incidentally came from two decades previous at Volvo in 2018, to find out why.
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Polestar confirmed that it is going to bring its latest electric car concept, the Precept, to production, but without a clear timeline.
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This week, I took the new all-electric Polestar 2 for a 145-mile drive from San Francisco, down coastal Highway 1, and through the twisty mountainous roads west of Silicon Valley. The taut, sporty, and long-range Polestar 2 sedan was an absolute delight to drive. The most enjoyable aspect of the Polestar EV is not what it offers, which is plenty, but what it lacks: virtue signaling.
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Waymo and Volvo this week announced an exclusive partnership to build a new self-driving electric vehicle for use in a ride-hailing service. Few details were provided other than the goal of working together to develop a Level 4 vehicle capable of autonomy in a wide range of locations and road conditions.
Polestar will begin by selling its electric performance cars this year in New York, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. In the first half of 2021, its retail footprint will grow to include Boston, Denver, Texas, Washington DC, and Florida regions.
The electric vehicle company Polestar and the electric motorcycle company CAKE share more than just a homeland. Now the two Swedish companies are joining forces with a brand partnership as well.
Polestar will have a retail location in New York City, where it will sell its $60,000, 78kWh Polestar 2 EV. Any day, the company is expected to announce the location of approximately 15 North American “Polestar spaces.” Electrek learned that in addition to NYC, Los Angeles will be on the list, as well as two spots in the San Francisco Bay Area and three locations in Canada. Free deliveries will begin in September within around 100 miles from Polestar locations.
The Volvo brand is all about safety. Today the company announced that it will equip its next-generation vehicles with lidar, an expensive sensor that has almost entirely been reserved for fleet-based robotaxis — not passenger cars. Tesla rejected lidar entirely. But Volvo believes lidar’s robust capabilities can be applied to millions of vehicles for hands-off highway driving.
Polestar’s parent company is Volvo, which is a pioneer in auto safety. The company is using the Polestar 2 EV to showcase the group’s latest safety tech. That includes the first use of new front-inner-side airbags and a new Acoustic Vehicle Alert System that warns pedestrians with a soundtrack similar to a heartbeat.
Polestar today announced the formal pricing of its first pure electric car, the 2021 Polestar 2. The performance-oriented fastback has an MSRP of $59,900 in the United States. Destination charges will send the entry price of the Polestar 2 above $60,000.