Polestar 6 Sees Stunning All-Electric O2 Concept Roadster Join Production Roadmap
Polestar may know how to make a good-looking electric concept car, but it also knows how to give EV fans some good news. Today, the evidence of that is confirmation that the Polestar O2 electric roadster concept is going into production, and will launch as the Polestar 6 and arguably the most striking of the company's models so far.
Revealed in March 2022, the Polestar O2 was the automaker's vision of a "hero car" for its brand, according to CEO Thomas Ingenlath. A 2+2 with a removable targa top and a beguiling combination of short overhangs, creases, and curves, it used the same bespoke aluminum architecture as underpins the upcoming Polestar 5.
Polestar
The upshot there is a cut in overall weight, vital when you're making a pure electric sports car that needs to be nippy on the road. Polestar didn't make any performance promises at the time, but the fact that it was thinking so far ahead as to platforms left us hopeful that the O2 concept would be more than just a styling exercise. Now, those dreams are coming true.
Sustainability, yes; drone, probably not
Inside the concept, meanwhile, Polestar had been experimenting with more of its sustainable luxury strategy. Recycled polyester, 3D knit fibers, and non-woven lamination all came together for a cabin that looked no less premium than what's in more mainstream high-end coupes, but which would be greener to build and also easier to recycle at the end of the O2 concept's lifespan.
Polestar
That wasn't to say there weren't some frivolous details, which we're not expecting Polestar to carry over to production — most obvious of those is the O2 concept's integrated drone, which deploys from a hidden garage at the back of the roadster. While the idea of having an autonomous flying camera to capture your talents on-road might sound like a good idea, it's probably not quite ready for mainstream roads.
Still, we'd gladly sacrifice the drone if it means we get the car itself. "With the overwhelming consumer and press response, we took the decision to put this stunning roadster into production and I am so excited to make it a reality," Ingenlath said of the decision. "Polestar 6 is a perfect combination of powerful electric performance and the thrill of fresh air with the top down."
Plenty of speed, but some questions remain
As expected, it'll be built on the same platform as the Polestar 5. It'll also share the 800 volt electric architecture of that car, with a dual motor powertrain that could potentially hit up to 884 horsepower (650kW) and 663 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque.
0-62 mph could arrive in just 3.2 seconds, as a result, and the Polestar 6 could rocket all the way to 155 mph. There's no word on range yet, a factor that could well prove to be the biggest challenge Polestar's engineers face.
Polestar
Polestar is no stranger to the concept-to-production rodeo. After all, the very first model to bear the automaker's minimalistic branding, the Polestar 1, took its roots from the Volvo Concept Coupe first revealed six years before the hybrid two-door finally went into production. Since then, we've seen the Polestar Precept four-door electric fastback also make the leap from design exercise to manufacturing intent, with the well-received concept car rapidly getting the green light to launch as the Polestar 5.
Polestar has an ambitious roadmap
That won't arrive in dealerships — or, more specifically, Polestar Spaces, the automaker's gallery-like vehicle exhibition locations — until 2024. It'll be a couple of years after that before the Polestar 6 electric roadster follows. The automaker says not to expect it until sometime in 2026 at the earliest.
Before then, Polestar will have more mainstream models to consider. Its current range of one, the Polestar 2 fastback, will be joined by the Polestar 3, an all-electric SUV. That's due to begin deliveries in 2023. The missing gap is the Polestar 4, of course, and that's expected to be a slightly smaller luxury "SUV coupe" in the vein of Porsche's Macan. If all goes to plan, a fairly big "if" in the supply-chain-constrained auto industry right now, we should see that in 2023.
Reservations for the Polestar 6 will open up on August 16, 2022, the automaker says, allowing those convinced even without seeing all the details to stake a place in line. Polestar also plans to make 500 special launch edition cars, dubbed the Polestar 6 LA Concept edition. Each numbered EV will have the same "Sky" blue exterior and light leather interior of the original O2 concept, plus its unique 21-inch wheels.