UK engineering behind Polestar 5

The forthcoming Polestar 5 will be an electric GT sports saloon with supercar-like torsional rigidity, thanks to its UK-engineered bespoke platform. It’s the first model to be developed by the new Polestar UK research and development division team in Warwickshire, which is set to grow to 500 engineers in the coming months.

Its strength will come from a bonded aluminium platform, making it strong and light. Polestar’s team of ‘former Formula 1, low volume and bespoke sports car engineers’ has developed an ‘entirely new, faster manufacturing process that develops both body and platform in unison’.

“Our UK R&D team is one of Polestar’s greatest assets,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “Their mix of engineering and technological expertise enables us to develop advanced, lightweight sports car technology with a creative mindset and a spirit that embraces innovative engineering. This will set Polestar apart in the years to come.”

The body-in-white will weigh less than cars from smaller classes, which is set to boost efficiency, electric driving range and handling. The production techniques being used are also expected to help get the Polestar 5 to market more quickly – it’s set to arrive in 2024. “We knew we wanted this car to be lightweight, we knew we wanted high quality and we knew we wanted it quickly,” says Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK Research and Development. “This architecture delivers outstanding dynamic and safety attributes, with low investment technology applicable to high production volumes.”

With a design set to take inspiration from the Precept concept, the Polestar 5 will have a curved roof and no traditional rear window, with cameras instead providing rearward visibility. When it arrives, it will be a rival to the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT.