Polestar is developing 800-volt system with 475 kW output
Polestar is developing a new electric motor and battery pack with an 800-volt system, according to a media report. The drive system, which is to be used exclusively by Polestar, could make its debut in the Polestar 5.
The news was broken by Polestar’s American unit head Gregor Hembrough. The electric motor, developed under the name P10, is said to have an impressive output of 475 kW and will only be used by Polestar. As with the Porsche Taycan, the P10 is to be coupled to a two-speed gearbox in order to be able to choose between maximum acceleration and efficiency.
The dimensions are said to be quite compact at 36 x 50 x 64 centimetres. If the P10 does make its debut in the Polestar 5, it would enter production in 2024. With an all-wheel drive system featuring two of these drive units, it is unlikely that the system power can be simply doubled; the maximum power output of the battery is likely to be the limiting factor here.
While the engine, according to Hembrough, will not be shared within the Geely brands, the 800-volt battery is a different matter. This is being developed by Polestar’s British team in conjunction with Volvo and Lotus. The 800-volt system is said to have an energy content of 103 kWh and will also be installed in the Polestar 5. The architecture is also said to offer “simplified compatibility” with 400-volt charging systems.
According to Hembrough, the 103 kWh battery pack should be able to be charged to 80 per cent in “20 minutes or less” at a suitable charging station, which would still correspond to an average charging power of 216 kW at an assumed starting value of 10 per cent charge level – if 72.1 kWh are to be charged in 20 minutes. In addition, the battery pack is supposed to be able to charge bidirectionally; the article talks about up to 20 kW extraction power. However, Hembrough did not want to give details about the cell type.
It is already known that the Swedish brand is aiming for a target range of 600+ kilometres for the Polestar 5 and wants to place the vehicle at the level of a Porsche Panamera in terms of price.
The Polestar 3, on the other hand, is said to be based on the SPA2 platform, as is the electric successor to the Volvo XC90, which could reportedly be called Embla. Both vehicles are also known to be built together at Volvo’s US plant in North Carolina.
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