The yet-to-be-delivered Polestar 3 performance SUV will be available with Luminar’s lidar (laser imaging, detection, and ranging) system starting February 2, the two companies announced in a joint statement, saying that the upcoming Polestar 5 four-door GT will also benefit from Luminar’s object-sensing technology.
The Polestar 3 EV was unveiled in October 2022, with deliveries set to begin towards the end of 2023 for the lidar-less version, while the newly-announced variant which has Luminar’s tech will get to customers at the end of 2024.
Even without the Lidar, the Polestar 3 is available with a suite of safety devices including five exterior radar modules and five cameras, as well as twelve ultrasonic sensors, which are complemented by two more cameras for the inside, plus an interior radar designed to prevent hot car deaths.
Both the Polestar 3 and the Polestar 5 will integrate Luminar’s long-range lidar and software into the roofline, similar to the recently unveiled Volvo EX90 electric SUV, which gets lidar as standard in the United States.
“Luminar is at the forefront of lidar technology development and this closer collaboration will allow for greater innovation in our cars to come. We look forward to combining our R&D and product design expertise to deliver truly stunning lidar integration and capabilities for the Polestar brand,” said Polestar’s CEO, Thomas Ingenlath.
Orders for the Polestar 3 with lidar are already open for the European and North American markets, with Australia following later in February and China in mid-April.
With a maximum output of up to 517 horsepower with the optional Performance Pack and an estimated range of around 300 miles (484 kilometers), Polestar’s performance SUV will go into production in mid-2023 in China, while Volvo’s factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina will start assembling the EV in mid-2024.
The Polestar 5 four-door grand tourer is reportedly getting a dual-motor powertrain capable of up to 871 horsepower and 664 pound-feet (900 Newton-meters) of torque, as well as an 800-volt architecture that enables a charge to 80 percent state of charge in approximately 20 minutes.
