Polestar unveils first China plant

Polestar has opened its first production facility. The plant is based in Chengdu, China and will produce 500 Polestar 1 vehicles every year for the next three years.

Polestar is the electric performance car brand jointly owned by Volvo Car Group and Zhejiang Geely Holding.

The facility, which has been completed on schedule, will produce vehicles for both China and global export markets with first customer deliveries expected before the end of 2019.

Thomas Ingenlath, chief executive officer of Polestar, said, ‘Here in Chengdu we are not only manufacturing a premium hybrid-electric performance car. We have also created an inspirational manufacturing environment, a great place to work and visit. It truly reflects the Polestar brand.

‘We promised we would have our first production facility built in 2019, we promised cars would be delivered to customers this year, and we promised we would do things differently – once again we are delivering on our promises. This is a hugely proud moment for the whole team at Polestar.’

The Polestar Production Centre aims to be one of the most environmentally responsible car factories in China. In keeping with these ambitions, and expected later in 2019, the facility was conceived with the goal of achieving Gold status in the globally-recognised LEED ratings (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The LEED rating prescribes a holistic approach, which challenged the team to work exclusively with suppliers that subscribe to an environmentally responsible approach.

A total of 1,500 units are planned over a three year production cycle. Construction of Polestar 1 will be followed by production of Polestar 2 in Luqiao, China, in early 2020.