Polestar to become Volvo’s performance electric branch

With a new boss at the helm, Polestar is set to become an electrified performance car arm for Volvo.

New Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath was previously one of the men at the top of Volvo’s design chain, and is said – by Volvo – to have been in charge of many of the recent design decisions the company has taken.

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Now, he’ll be in charge of a brave new world for the Swedish manufacturer, with little to suggest that Volvo or Polestar will continue producing any kind of petrol-only performance car.

With the Polestar S60 recently downsized to a turbocharged four-pot, the electric change signals a new ‘green’ era for Polestar, with upcoming cars to drop the Volvo badge entirely.

The company will still operate under Volvo, as it was completely acquired in 2015, though it says it will develop “optimisation packages for Volvo’s range of cars under the Polestar Engineered brand”.

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Polestar will continue to work with Volvo to share engineering and technological advances, though branding will deviate under an almost Citroen-esque logo.

Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson says Polestar will now expand to fill market gaps that Volvo does not reach.

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“Polestar will be a credible competitor in the emerging global market for high performance electrified cars. With Polestar, we are able to offer electrified cars to the world’s most demanding, progressive drivers in all market segments.

“Thomas heading up the Polestar organisation shows our commitment to establishing a truly differentiated stand-alone brand within the Volvo Car Group.”

The future of Cyan Racing appears to remain largely unchanged.