Volvo is opening up its Ridgeville, South Carolina, plant to its electric sister brand, which will build the Polestar 3 there.
“Production in the U.S.A. makes procurement more efficient, reduces delivery times, and will even have a positive impact on the price of the Polestar 3 SUV,” says Polestar COO Dennis Nobelius. “All of this makes the brand even more competitive in the critical American sales market.”
America, Polestar points out, is the second-biggest EV market on earth, making it an important focus for the automaker’s ambitions. China will also produce the Polestar 3, presumably at its Luqiao Plant where the Polestar 2 is made. Further encouraging Polestar to make the Polestar 3 in America are the heated trade negotiations between the U.S. and China that may have led to inflated prices for the former.
Read Also: Polestar Precept Concept Headed For Production, Development Already Underway
The Polestar 2 Launch Edition starts at $61,200 in the U.S., which considerably more than the Tesla Model 3 and, more to the point, is more than Canadians pay for the Polestar 2, relatively speaking. That, we reported last year, could come down to tariffs levied against Chinese-made products. With Polestar 3s being built in the U.S. the brand will be able to avoid any tariff troubles.
“Polestar 3 will be built in America, for our American customers,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s Chief Executive Officer. “I remember the great response when I first shared Polestar’s vision here in the USA and I am proud that our first SUV will be manufactured in South Carolina. From now on, the USA is no longer an export market but a home market.”
The actual vehicle will be an “aerodynamic SUV” that showcases the next evolution of Polestar design. That new design direction was previewed by the Precept concept, first shown in February 2020. Featuring an evolution of the Thor’s Hammer lights that first debuted on Volvos, and with generally less boxy proportions than previous vehicles, the Precept is an interesting step for the company.
Last fall, the company confirmed that the Precept concept was also headed to production.
Polestar did not reveal when exactly the 3 SUV would enter production, nor when it would go on sale.
