Polestar Opens First Production Centre in China

Polestar, previously the performance sub-brand of Volvo, has announced the confirmation of its World Manufacturing Identifier (WMI) code which now cements the brand as a standalone car company. The WMI refers to the first three characters of a car's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) number which uniquely identifies the manufacturer and origin of the vehicle.

The news also coincides with the scheduled opening of the Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China which starts production of the company’s first model, the Polestar 1.

The 600 bhp, 1000 Nm hybrid sports car will be the most premium new energy vehicle to be manufactured in China, the world’s largest EV market.

The facility’s location in Chengdu – the heart of China’s most technologically advanced and environment-friendly manufacturing base – is also integral to Polestar’s brand values of "pure, progressive, and performance"

The Chengdu production centre is designed by renowned design company, Snøhetta, and incorporates a customer experience centre, test track, and a glazed atrium offering a panoramic view over the factory floor.

The Polestar Production Centre is claimed to be one of the most environmentally responsible car factories in China. In keeping with these ambitions, the facility was conceived with the goal of achieving Gold status in the globally-recognised LEED ratings (prescribes a holistic approach to sustainable facility design), which is expected to be conferred later this year.

Five hundred Polestar 1 cars are planned to be built per year in the new Chengdu facility, with a total of 1,500 planned over a three-year production cycle. Construction of Polestar 1 in Chengdu will be followed by the production of Polestar 2 in Luqiao, China, in early 2020. Reservations for Polestar 1 and 2 can be made at the Polestar website.