Luxury electric vehicle brand Polestar is rolling out its new Polestar 3 SUV in 2024 and the company is confident of a good reception, says Kieran Campbell, Market Lead, Polestar Automotive Ireland HOW HAS POLESTAR’S MARKET ENTRY IN IRELAND...
Luxury electric vehicle brand Polestar is rolling out its new Polestar 3 SUV in 2024 and the company is confident of a good reception, says Kieran Campbell, Market Lead, Polestar Automotive Ireland
HOW HAS POLESTAR’S MARKET ENTRY IN IRELAND GONE TO DATE?
We launched Polestar in the last week of March 2022 from a hangar in Weston Airport, where we presented Polestar 2 over to a large selection of the media and received a great reception.
Sales commenced in May and we delivered our first cars to customers in July 2022. Our development has been rapid and extremely positive, as we can see the number of cars on the road, 430 and increasing.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POLESTAR 2 AND THE NEW POLESTAR 3?
Polestar 2 is a premium all-electric fastback saloon that is available from €52,635, with a range up to 551kms.
Polestar 3 is a luxury all-electric SUV that is available from €99,900, with a range up to 611kms.
WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR ENGINE CONFUGURATIONS ACROSS THE CHOCE OF STANDARD RANGE SINGLE MOTOR, LONG RANGE SINGLE MOTOR, AND LONG RANGE DUAL MOTOR?
For Polestar 2, the split in configuration is 40/40/20. The S.R.S.M and the L.R.D.M both return a similar battery range at 478km and 487km (WLTP) per full charge, but the drivetrain and the power are different with a single motor (170kW) versus a dual motor (300kW). The L.R.S.M. (170kW) provides the best range at 551km WLTP.
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE POLESTAR 3 SUV IN 2024?
Polestar 3 is a real signal where we are going as a brand, and the product itself is incredible. It combines luxury, top specifications, power, driving dynamics, and interior space with a range of 611kms from a full charge.
We are quietly confident about the Polestar 3, and our early order take reflects this.
Kieran Campbell
HOW DO YOU VIEW EMERGING COMPETITION FROM CHINESE EVs?
New brands and competition are always good and a positive for the consumer.
One in five new cars registered in Ireland in 2023 are full EV, and the EV share is growing year-on-year.
We benchmark our pricing based on our competitive basket and we are satisfied where we sit in the marketplace.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO MEET THE GOVERNMENT’S ROADMAP TO EV ADOPTION?
If government is serious about fulfilling its EV targets, then it should reduce or remove VRT and/or VAT on all EVs for a defined period, and re-apply these taxes to combustion engine cars.
Photo: Kieran Campbell, Market Lead, Polestar Automotive Ireland. (Pic: Conor McCabe)