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Polestar 3 crossover SUV teased, to be made in the US

The upcoming Polestar 3 electric crossover SUV will be made in the United States starting in 2022, the automaker confirmed Wednesday with a teaser for the new model.

As the name implies, the Polestar 3 will be the Volvo spinoff brand’s third model, following the limited-edition Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe and Polestar 2 electric car. So far, all Polestar vehicles have been built in China—home of Geely, parent of both Polestar and Volvo—with engineering work done in Sweden.

However, the Polestar 3 will be built at Volvo’s factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina, alongside Volvo models, a Polestar press release said. It marks a shift in emphasis toward the U.S. market.

“From now on, the U.S.A. is no longer an export market but a home market,” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said in a statement.

Geely SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) modular EV platform

Geely SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) modular EV platform

Polestar will also open 25 U.S. retail “Spaces” by the end of 2021, and will offer home test drives, pickup and delivery for servicing, and mobile servicing for customers who live too far away from a brick-and-mortar service center.

The Polestar 3 is described by its maker as an “aerodynamic performance SUV,” meaning it should be close to the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y, and Volkswagen ID.4 in form factor.

While the Polestar 2 uses the same Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform as the Volvo XC40 Recharge and some internal-combustion models, the Polestar 3 is expected to use a new EV-specific Geely platform called Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA). It will also get the Android-based operating system from the Polestar 2 and XC40 Recharge, plus a long list of driver aids.

While it’s now a dedicated EV brand, Polestar started out as an independent company tuning and racing Volvos. After the company’s purchase by Volvo, the name was repurposed for the current Polestar brand, but the racing arm lives on as Cyan Racing.

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