Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, production of Polestar 2 has officially begun in Luqiao, China.
The new electric, performance fastback, a competitor for Tesla, is the first electric vehicle to be produced by the facility.
Polestar 2 is set for initial delivery into Europe, followed by China and North America.
“The world is facing enormous upheaval in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic,” Polestar CEO, Thomas Ingenlath said.
“We start production now under these challenging circumstances, with a strong focus on the health and safety of our people.
“This is a great achievement and the result of huge efforts from the staff in the factory and the team securing the supply chain. I have a huge amount of respect for the entire team – thanks to them!”
Owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding and operated by Volvo Cars, the Luqiao plant is an example of how Polestar leverages the expertise of its parent companies.
“Being able to produce in Luqiao means we are able to bring Polestar 2 to market with high build and quality standards right from the beginning,” continues Thomas Ingenlath.
Revealed in February 2019, Polestar 2 is available in 10 global markets contained in Europe, China and North America.
Unfortunately, though, it is not slated for Australia and its limited electric vehicle market at this stage.
Initially available to reserve with a refundable deposit, final order books in each launch market are now being opened sequentially.
The fully electric performance fastback is available for the first year of production with 300kW and 660Nm, all-wheel drive and a 78 kWh battery pack that gives it a a range of 470km (WLTP).
Polestar 2 is also the world’s first car to feature a built-in infotainment system powered by Android, featuring Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play Store.
Deliveries to customers are due to begin in the summer of 2020 on a market-by-market basis, starting in Europe and followed by China and North America.
CHECKOUT: Polestar sets up shop in China