Swedish purveyor of ultra-stylish EVs, Polestar, has taken a leaf out of Apple's book of events by shuttling the world's media, potential customers and investors to its inaugural LA-based "Polestar Day", where it made a series of announcements about he future of the brand.
Perhaps most pertinent was the fact it took the opportunity to reveal a completely undisguised Polestar 5, which won't come to market until 2025 but looks set to give the Porsche Taycans and Audi e-tron GTs of this world a run for their money.
Alongside revealing it without the awkward camouflage of previous iterations, Polestar divulged a selection of juicy details about the sleek machine, which will also go on to spawn an arguably even more seductive Polestar 6 roadster in 2026.
We get up close with the new Polestar 5 for the first time…>> https://t.co/iuhKilsLQW pic.twitter.com/Jp33c5x9BXNovember 10, 2023
But back to the 5: according to execs, new rapid charge technology will allow 100-miles of range to be added in just five minutes, should the appropriate outlets be available.
According to Autocar, this technology is dubbed extreme fast charging (XFC), and involves a collaboration between Polestar and StoreDot, a charging specialist that Polestar invested in to help it accelerate its charging speeds.
In terms of power output, Polestar confirmed that its upcoming 5 will boast a frankly ridiculous 874bhp and 663lb ft (899Nm) of torque from a twin-motor, all-wheel-drive setup.
Polestar states that it has focussed heavily on the 5's chassis and underpinnings, using a bonded aluminium construction that aims for "supercar levels of torsional stiffness, which is fundamental to class-leading ride and handling dynamics," Polestar UK chief engineer Dave Kane told Autocar.
A licence to thrill
So far, Polestar has delivered on its promise of delivering stunning, mould-breaking EVs, but one of the criticisms levelled at the currently available 2 and 3 is the lack of driver engagement.
But this looks set to change with the release of 5, and then eventually the roof-less 6 model, as Polestar states that it is aiming to inject some supercar-style excitement into its range.
By 2026, it will boast a line-up that includes saloons, hatchbacks and neo-sports cars, while its upcoming 4, which is set to be a crossover vehicle, will feature high levels of autonomy that will allow drivers to enjoy hands-off and eyes-off where permitted.
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