Polestar announced development of a new bonded aluminum platform, along with a new car that will utilize it as it looks to the next generation of its electric vehicles.
Polestar used to be the rowdy performance arm of Volvo, but the two names split a few years ago as Polestar began focusing on premium EVs. The offshoot automaker currently has two vehicles in production, with the Polestar 2 as its current flagship.
Polestar developed the new aluminum platform in-house, using its team of more than 280 engineers in Coventry, England.
Bonded aluminum construction creates a structure that is lightweight but rigid, though as Polestar admits, it's a labor-intensive and temperamental material to use in mass production.
The automaker also developed a new manufacturing process that builds the body and platform together, which creates a combination that weighs less than cars in smaller segments. The upside of all that work is that the Polestar 5 targets a level of torsional rigidity not often seen outside of supercars and dedicated sports cars.
A performance 4-door fully electric GT
The new platform will underpin the upcoming Polestar 5 - based on the Precept concept vehicle - which will be a performance 4-door fully electric GT that's likely to go head-to-head with the Audi etron GT and Porsche Taycan when it arrives in 2024.
The company believes its new platform will accelerate the pace of new vehicle development and allow it to push vehicles to market more quickly.
"We knew we wanted this car to be lightweight, we knew we wanted high quality and we knew we wanted it quickly," noted Pete Allan, Polestar's Head of UK R&D.
The concept debuted in 2020 as a sleek four-door grand touring car. The Polestar 5 will come in 2024 with a similar design and proportions.
As Polestar notes, the new dedicated EV platform allows it to create a vehicle with better rigidity and less weight overall, as well as "class-leading dynamics, rigidity, and safety features."
An EV-only platform also enables better battery placement, as the Polestar 2 shares a platform with the Volvo XC40 and C40. The architecture was designed for vehicles with internal combustion engines, so the addition of a large lithium-ion battery pack cuts into passenger and cargo space.
