Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath is a bonafide automotive fanatic. He pushed to make the bottom Polestar 2 rear- as a substitute of front-wheel drive, and he’s shepherding the Polestar 5 four-door GT and Polestar 6 roadster into manufacturing. Ingenlath additionally helped flip the restricted BST Version 270 and Version 230 of the Polestar 2 into actuality. On the New York Worldwide Auto Present, Ingenlath confirmed to Motor1 that extra BST editions are on their means.
He didn’t present a timeline or specifics but, however the earlier BST version automobiles give us an concept of what to anticipate. Primarily decrease, stiffer suspension, stickier tires, and many styling tweaks to speak the automotive’s elevated efficiency. Each BST variations of the Polestar 2 had the identical 476 horsepower because the common dual-motor sedan, however paired that with stiffer springs, a decrease journey peak, distinctive Ohlins dampers, distinctive wheels, and a customized spec of Pirelli tire. Polestar made 270 examples of the BST 270 and—you guessed it—230 examples of the BST 230. Evidently, they had been acquired nicely sufficient to maintain the mission going.
Whereas each the Polestar 3 and 4 had been delayed, Ingenlath says progress is sweet on the 5 sedan. He pulls out his telephone to point out us photos he posted to Instagram of pre-production automobiles rolling down the meeting line.
We additionally requested concerning the perceived slowdown of EV gross sales within the U.S., and he had an attention-grabbing perspective on the scenario. He doesn’t suppose individuals are souring on electrical automobiles. “It is simply merely a interval in financial time the place individuals, in fact, are extra cautious about a purchase order resolution,” he says. “That has to do with rates of interest, it has to do with psychology, and Jesus, the world will not be in a simple place…. For the primary time, EVs [have] skilled an financial cycle.”
There’s additionally the truth that Polestar has completely different targets than different EV makers. “Let’s face it,” Ingenlath says, “we aren’t pitching for the million that Tesla is desirous to promote, we aren’t in competitors with BYD. We’re in competitors with corporations like BMW, Porsche and Mercedes.” He additionally argues that Polestar’s competitors extends past simply EVs—a Polestar 3, for instance, must tempt somebody out of a BMW X5, not simply an iX.
With Polestar 3 deliveries starting this summer season and Polestar 4 deliveries deliberate for the fourth quarter, it is a large yr for the model within the US. Fortunately, each fashions are cheaper than initially anticipated, one thing Ingenlath credit to sturdy residuals for the Polestar 2. Nonetheless, 2024 is a make-or-break yr for Polestar. Hopefully it’ll succeed, and we’ll get some extra efficiency fashions.
