Polestar 5: Grand Tourer receives battery cells from SK On

Model will be “launched” in 2024, but will only be delivered from 2025

The Polestar 5, the four-door grand tourer, whose market launch was announced for 2024, will not be delivered until 2025. This emerges from a press release from the Swedish-Chinese manufacturer.

In July, at the presentation of the newcomer at Goodwood, it was said: “The official market launch of the Polestar 5 , the production vehicle version of the Polestar Precept, is planned for 2024.” Now the press department writes: “The Polestar 5, which is scheduled to start production in 2025, is the further development of the Polestar Precept concept vehicle (…).”

When we asked, a company spokesman told us that nothing had changed in the plans. As planned, the Polestar 5 would be available to order from 2024, but would only be produced from 2025. There would be no shift that we suspected. Apparently our misunderstanding stems from a different definition of the term “market launch”. For us, this is the start of delivery; the Polestar news apparently meant the start of orders. The rather tight-lipped official statement from Polestar in its original language:

“We expect the launch of the Polestar 5 in 2024. The start of production is planned for 2025.” (Email response from a Polestar spokesperson to insideevs query) 

 According to Polestar, this has nothing to do with the delay of the Polestar 3 . Due to software problems, its production will not begin in 2023, but rather in 2024. 

The new press release was actually about the news that the Polestar 5 will receive battery cells from the Korean manufacturer SK On. The two companies have signed a contract for the delivery of modules.

SK On’s battery cells offer “powerful chemistry, fast charging, efficient discharging and a long range,” writes Polestar. The modules consist of “ultra-long 56-centimeter cells with high energy density” and high nickel content, Polestar said. These are probably NCM811 cells.

Polestar boss Thomas Ingenlath said: “Our relationship with SK On has proven fruitful after signing the memorandum of understanding and investing in our brand. The Polestar 5 is developing rapidly and will be equipped with this high-performance battery to deliver the performance that is expected from our Grand Tourer.”

Jee Dong-seob, CEO of SK On, added: “We are pleased to work with Polestar on this world-class electric car. We will strengthen our partnership with Polestar and create new opportunities through this agreement.”

Polestar had already signed a memorandum of understanding with SK On in 2021 regarding cooperation on batteries. SK On was founded in October 2021 as a spin-off from SK Innovation’s battery division. The company is based in the Korean capital Seoul and has battery plants in the USA, Europe and Asia.

Polestar currently only offers the Polestar 2; The brand, which belongs to Geely, wants to build a range of five electric cars by 2026. It has already been officially determined which cars these will be. The Polestar 2 launched in 2019, the large SUV called Polestar 3 was presented at the end of 2022 and, after the postponement, is now scheduled to launch in mid-2023.

The launch of the Polestar 4 coupé SUV   “will take place in phases from 2023 to 2024,” as the manufacturer now writes. At the presentation it was said that the market launch in Europe should start at the beginning of 2024. Polestar now told us:

“Production of the Polestar 3 will begin in Q1 2024. The first deliveries are planned for Q2 2024. The Polestar 4 will be launched in Europe in Q1 2024. Production for China is scheduled to begin in November 2023 at a Geely factory in Hangzhou Bay, China “The start of production for the European markets is planned for Q2 2024.” 
(Email from a Polestar spokesperson)

After the Polestar 5, which will now apparently come onto the market in 2025, a corresponding roadster is planned – the Polestar 6 . A start in 2026 has so far been announced for this. 

Finally, the  Polestar 0  probably does not represent a series car that will be launched by 2026, but rather represents the company’s goal of building a climate-neutral series car by 2030.