Polestar 3 gets new entry-level version
The new entry-level version is the Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor, which combines an electric motor with 220 kW of power on the rear axle with the 111 kWh battery from the all-wheel drive version. The motor is a permanently excited synchronous machine (as in the all-wheel drive versions). It can now be ordered in Europe – in the UK at a starting price of £69,900.
As the battery with CATL cells remains unchanged, the manufacturer’s fast charging specifications are identical: the maximum charging power is 250 kW, and the charging process from 10 to 80 per cent should take 30 minutes.
According to the manufacturer, the Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor has a WLTP range of 650 kilometres – 19 kilometres more than the 360 kW dual-motor version with the same battery and 89 kilometres more than the Polestar 3 with Performance Pack. The maximum torque of the rear-wheel drive model is 490 Nm, while the acceleration (7.8 seconds) and top speed (180 kph) figures are significantly lower than those of the all-wheel drive variants, as the following table shows:
| Long Range Single Motor | Long Range Dual Motor | Performance-Paket | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive | RWD | AWD | AWD |
| Power | 220 kW | 360 kW | 380 kW |
| Torque | 490 Nm | 840 Nm | 910 Nm |
| Acceleration | 7.8 s | 5.0 s | 4.7 s |
| Top speed | 180 kph | 210 kph | 210 kph |
| WLTP range | 650 km | 631 km | 561 km |
| Battery | 111 kWh | 111 kWh | 111 kWh |
| Charging DC | 250 kW | 250 kW | 250 kW |
| Charging time DC 10-80% | 30 min | 30 min | 30 min |
| Price | £69,900 | £75,900 | £81,500 |
The market launch in North America, Australia, and other markets in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East is planned for the second half of 2024. It is also noteworthy that the two all-wheel-drive models have also become slightly cheaper. They are now listed at £75,900 and £81,500, respectively – in February, Polestar still quoted prices of just over 82,000 and 88,000 pounds in the UK.
As Polestar sees itself as a performance brand, the entry-level model with rear-wheel drive should also retain “all the hallmarks” of the dual-engine models. “Ride comfort and control is taken care of by a sophisticated passive damper system that uses Hydraulic Rebound Stops (HRS) and Frequency Selective Damping (FSD). The result is the Long range Single motor Polestar 3 emulates the dynamic character found in the Long range Dual motor models,” says Polestar.
As with the all-wheel drive models, the “Pilot Pack” can also be ordered as an option for the Polestar Long Range Single Engine. It includes the Lidar system from Luminar.
“With the Long range Single motor Polestar 3, we offer consumers a new entry-point for our flagship electric SUV,” says Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar. “The rear-wheel drive configuration fits with our performance focused driving dynamics that make the car stand out in the luxury SUV sector.”
Alongside the new drive version, Polestar also announced the first deliveries. The first vehicles will be handed over to customers on two continents “in the coming days” – but the first customers have already collected their vehicles at Polestar’s headquarters in Gothenburg. Initially, the quantities will likely be small, as deliveries are “set to accelerate throughout the summer […] customer interest for Polestar 3 remains high, resulting in the initial batch of customer test drives being over-subscribed. Additional test-drive slots have now been made available during the summer months, across Polestar’s Spaces.”
The model went into production at the end of February – the Polestar 3 is currently being built exclusively in China. In other words, the model would also be affected by the EU’s impending special tariffs, if Brussels and Beijing do not reach an agreement. At a later date, the Polestar 3 will also be built at Volvo in South Carolina, where the EX90 currently rolls off the production line.
polestar.com (new variant), polestar.com (technical data), polestar.com (deliveries)
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