Polestar 5 breaks cover with supercar power and 800V EV architecture

Polestar has given its first glimpse and details of the upcoming Polestar 5, a four-door GT that plans to put Porsche on notice in the emerging EV performance car space.

Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath describes the 5 as a “company-defining project”.

It is being driven in demonstration runs at this week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed ahead of a planned global launch in 2024.

READ MORE: New Polestar models by 2024: EV startup confirms 3, 4, 5 with 600km+ ranges

The 5 is the production version of the Precept concept car that the company first showed in 2020.

The Polestar 5 has evolved the Precept’s sleek, low-slung shape and has a whopping 650kW of power and 900Nm of torque running off a new 800V electrical architecture.

Riding on the upcoming SPA2 platform that will underpin the Polestar 3 large SUV due in 2023 as well as various Volvos – including the all-electric replacement for the XC90 – the Polestar 5 is clearly heavily focused on performance.

Its closest competitor with all-electric performance is the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, which makes up to 560kW and 1050Nm.

But the design and performance credentials of the 5 could easily tempt buyers out of petrol-powered machines – as the Taycan has done.

Like the Porsche, expect brutal acceleration from the Polestar 5, although the company hasn’t detailed acceleration times yet.

Key to its performance is a new rear electric motor and the 800V architecture (most EVs operate on 350-400V platforms).

While Polestar hasn’t explicitly said so, it appears the front motor could be an evolution of an existing design used by Polestar or other brands within the family (Polestar is part-owned by Volvo and its parent Geely, but plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange this year).

“The new powertrain we are working on will set a new brand benchmark in our high-performing cars,” said Jörg Brandscheid, Polestar’s CTO and Head of R&D.

“Combining strong electric motor engineering ability with advances in light-weight platform technology is leading to truly stunning driver’s cars.”

It’s way too early to chat prices, but it’s clear the Polestar 5 will be towards the upper end of the EV market.

“Polestar 5 is shaping up to be a superb four-door GT and a true Polestar at heart,” said Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK R&D.

“The platform combines low-volume performance car attributes with modern technological advances to bring light-weight, high-rigidity sports car chassis technology into mass production.”

It’s also set to be the lowest volume vehicle of the three planned new Polestar models – 3, 4 and 5 – over the next three years.

Polestar will build the 5 at a factory in Chongqing, China with a capacity of just 30,000 vehicles annually. Polestar sold 29,000 of its Polestar 2 models globally in 2021 and plans to sell 290,000 cars annually by 2025.