Volvo set to challenge Tesla and BMW with new electric Polestar offering

Electric vehicles are no longer the stuff of fringe science and milk deliverymen. Technology has advanced in leaps and bounds over the last 25 years, leading to the creation of innovative hybrid technology. With hybrid technology and the advancements in batteries coming thick and fast, almost all manufacturers have or are developing electric cars.

Electric cars have been around longer than you think

General Motors, Nissan, Toyota, and a host of other automotive giants have been pushing the development of electrically driven cars for years. However, these have been put into small sedans and hatchbacks to serve as city runabouts, which generally have limited ranges.

Tesla burst onto the scene with a line of cars that not only looked good, but had performance, reliability and range. Since then, Mercedes-Benz have dipped their toes into the hybrid pond with their e-range, and BMW launched the i3 and i8. BMW is putting a lot of weight into the development of their hybrid offerings and the BMW i sub-brand. To this end, many other manufacturers are beginning to see the benefit of hybrid and full electric vehicles.

Volvo gets involved

One of those manufacturers seeing the benefit of this segment is Volvo, specifically their Polestar division. In a recent press statement, they announced that they too would be establishing a unique stand-alone brand within the Volvo Group. These performance models are likely to rival Tesla and BMW i.

In a world where fossil fuels are becoming increasingly sparse and the cost of said fuels becomes more volatile, the development of alternative drive methods is welcomed by the motoring public. As more auto manufacturers such as Volvo Polestar come on board and develop the technology, it will become cheaper and more readily available and accepted by motorists.

Since being acquired by the Volvo Cars group in 2015, Polestar has much to benefit from being part of the Swedish brand. That includes technology, engineering and economies of scale. Conversely, new models will no longer carry the Volvo logo. Polestar is to reveal their product plans at a later stage.

Will South Africa ever see an electric Polestar?

The AutoTraderSA team were curious as to how this news would affect us here in South Africa, and reached out to Volvo Car South Africa for comment.

“It is still very early to discuss Polestar in any product sense, but yes, we will likely see their cars here,” said Brent Ellis, media relations manager for Volvo Car SA. “Volumes and model mix, of course, can only be confirmed much closer to launch dates, which have not yet been confirmed.”