Volvo to build Polestar 7 in Slovakia
Polestar had already announced in January that it wanted to build the Polestar 7 in Europe, but without giving details or naming a specific plant. After all, Polestar – originally founded as a joint venture between Volvo and parent company Geely – does not have its own factories. Its cars are either built in Chinese Geely plants, existing Volvo factories (such as in the US), or by contract manufacturing. The Polestar 4, for example, comes from South Korea.
Volvo Cars and Polestar have now confirmed the exact European production site for the Polestar 7: the agreement foresees production at Volvo’s Košice plant. The Slovakian factory is still under construction, with works having begun in 2023. It is a dedicated electric car plant with a capacity of up to 250,000 units per year. “The location of the factory offers good logistical connections to European markets and a developed supplier base,” says Polestar.
Importantly, Volvo is not just the production partner for the Polestar 7 but also its development partner. Polestar confirms for the first time that the new model “will utilise a technology base from Volvo Cars, benefiting from group component sharing, cell-to-body technology with next-generation battery density and performance, as well as the next generation of in-house developed e-motors. Adaptations will be made to create the driving experience and performance characteristics that Polestar is known for.”
Polestar 7 is the first confirmed model for the Slovakia plant
If the Polestar 7 is built in Slovakia on a Volvo platform, Volvo itself will likely also manufacture at least one model on the same platform in Košice. Volvo’s electric compact SUVs EX40 and EC40, as well as the smaller EX30, are currently built in Ghent, Belgium. Volvo has not yet announced which series will come from the new Slovakian EV plant – whether compact SUVs like the Polestar 7 or larger vehicles such as the EX60 remains unclear.
“Subject to final agreements between the companies, it is planned to be the second car to be built at the Kosice plant and intended to follow a yet-to-be-announced, next-generation Volvo model that will be built there prior to the introduction of Polestar 7,” Volvo states.
It explicitly mentions the EX60 in this context: “The Polestar 7 will offer the design and performance characteristics that are synonymous with the brand, while sharing a common technology base with two forthcoming Volvo models, including the Volvo EX60,” the carmaker states. Polestar itself does not draw parallels to specific Volvo models.
When the Polestar 7 was first announced in January, it was simply described as a premium compact SUV. It remained open whether the vehicle would use a Volvo platform (as with the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 sharing one) or Geely technology. The Chinese parent company, for instance, offers modern electric SUVs with strong performance such as the Zeekr 7X and Smart #5.
“Working with Volvo Cars to develop and manufacture Polestar 7 in Europe is a unique opportunity that will strengthen our position in our home market,” said Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller. “Our strategy of utilising Group architectures as the base for our future model line-up gives us access to the best, latest technologies, in a cost-efficient manner. With a design and sporty driving characteristics that are instantly recognisable, Polestar 7 will set new standards in the premium compact SUV segment.”
Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo Cars, added: “Our collaboration with Polestar on the development and manufacturing of the Polestar 7 underscores how Volvo Cars and Polestar continue to leverage synergies to efficiently deliver outstanding vehicles built for our distinct customer segments.”
Samuelsson was responsible for spinning off Polestar as a performance EV brand during his tenure as Volvo CEO with Geely’s support. He stepped down as Volvo CEO in 2022 but remained on Polestar’s board. Under his successor Jim Rowan, Volvo reduced its Polestar stake while Geely increased its shareholding. This year, however, Volvo’s board dismissed Rowan and reappointed Samuelsson as CEO. It is therefore possible that ties between Volvo and Polestar will grow closer again under Samuelsson’s leadership.
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