Polestar: History Of The Innovative Electric Car Brand

The history of the Polestar brand began on the racetrack, moved to the streets, and now takes us into the future of thrilling yet eco-friendly driving. From their first Volvo race cars to their current electric cars and luxurious hybrid SUV models, Polestar cars have always, and will always, represent the finest machines elevated to higher levels. See more of this illustrious history with our overview below, and then see what a Polestar Engineered Volvo luxury SUV can do by visiting O'Steen Volvo Cars of Jacksonville for a test drive.

The History of the Polestar Brand

The history of the Polestar brand started in 1996 with a small Swedish team called Flash Engineering, which raced purpose-built Volvo vehicles in the Swedish Touring Car Championship. They later became Polestar Racing and were brought on as an official performance partner to the Volvo Cars brand. Cars like the 2013 Volvo S60 Polestar performance sedan debuted with great success and further impressed the Volvo Cars brand.

As a result, Volvo Cars fully acquired Polestar in 2015. The history of the Polestar brand entered a new chapter in 2017 when it became positioned as a premier maker of electric and plug-in hybrid luxury cars.

The 2019 Polestar 1 was the proof of concept and a drop-dead gorgeous luxury coupe. The Polestar 2 amped things up as an all-electric luxury SUV made as a standalone Polestar product. This brand partnership, though, was fully felt by those who decided to shop new Volvo car models.

Models like the Volvo XC60 Recharge received the Polestar Engineered trim; this best-selling luxury SUV thus gained more streamlined power and racetrack-derived parts like unique adjustable suspension and monstrous brakes. Today, the history of the Polestar brand is still being written, and you can find the culmination of their racetrack experience and luxury commitment in the 2024 Volvo XC60 Recharge Polestar Engineered, which has a 4.5-second 0-60 mph time. You can also get the Engineered by Polestar optimization package for the Volvo XC90 T8 Plug-in Hybrid to elevate the performance of your three-row luxury SUV.

We often have new Volvo deals on these models, so if an elevated luxury car is on your radar, visit our dealership in Jacksonville, FL, to explore the Polestar Engineered lineup and learn more about the history of the Polestar brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Polestar owned by Volvo Cars?

Yes, the history of the Polestar brand entered a new chapter in 2015 when Volvo Cars bought Polestar in its entirety. This move came after over a decade of prior partnership, mostly involving Polestar developing and racing Volvo race cars, as well as making high-performance Volvo vehicles for the street. Today, Polestar makes both high-performance luxury Volvo vehicles and their own all-electric cars.

Is Polestar Swedish or Chinese?

Polestar was founded in and continues to be headquartered in Sweden. They and Volvo Cars were purchased by the Chinese Geely brand, but this ownership mainly extends to financial backing and engineering development. Volvo vehicles are still made in Sweden and continue to represent a focused philosophy of Scandinavian design and manufacturing quality. The Polestar 2, however, is assembled in China to stringent quality standards.

Why did they name it Polestar?

As the history of the Polestar brand is intertwined with Sweden as a country, the "Polestar" name is a reference to the "pole star" or "North star" that the Vikings used for navigation. "Polestar" can also be thought of as a reference to their racing origins, as since "pole position" means starting in first place, "polestar" can be interpreted as being an icon of first-place race cars.