The Polestar 2, with its Swedish engineering pedigree and Chinese manufacturing base, has been shaping up to be an interesting alternative to the Tesla Model 3.
And now Polestar is reassuring those interested in the electric hatchback that, at least for some parts of the world, it’s arriving soon. The automaker reported today that it’s already producing—on schedule—trial prototypes at its Luquiao, China production facility.
Polestar has priced the U.S. Launch Edition at $63,000, and the model will be eligible for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit amount. Polestar has also teased a Performance Pack version of the fastback, and said that a lower-priced $45,000 version is in the works.
There’s one big asterisk here for U.S. customers, though, and it relates to a single word: tariffs. Polestar’s CEO, Thomas Ingenlath, has said at a few times that the tariff environment could cause the price of the car to rise, thus affecting demand.
Polestar also confirmed today to Green Car Reports that first U.S. Launch Edition Polestar 2 cars are on track (early, even) for first deliveries in June 2020.
Polestar 2
Meanwhile Polestar also reports that it’s building the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid performance car at its Chengdu, China, facility. That facility is getting a test track next to the factory, for quality assurance and vehicle assessment.
European pricing was announced for the Polestar 2 in October, with starting prices then equating to about $64,600 in Germany and $61,000 in the UK. Last month it also announced leasing programs for Sweden and Germany. Deliveries are expected to start next June for Europe, while Polestar’s U.S. site offers to secure a place in 2020 deliveries for a $1,000 fully refundable deposit.