Geely-backed brand Polestar has announced on Wednesday a new iteration of its Polestar 3 SUV, introducing several upgrades on performance, charging and processing power.
The model is the most expensive of its the lineup, and is produced both in China and in the US, at Volvo‘s South Carolina plant.
Built on the SPA2 platform shared with the Volvo EX90, the new Polestar 3 now incorporates a new 800-volt electrical architecture.
This upgrade enables faster DC charging, with peak rates of up to 350 kW, reducing charging times from 10 to 80% to just 22 minutes — which, according to the brand, is 25% faster than the previous iteration.
The new system also supports next-generation lithium-ion batteries supplied by CATL, offering a 92 kWh pack for the Rear Motor version and a larger 106 kWh pack for the Dual Motor and Performance variants.
The 2026 Polestar 3 also features a new rear motor, developed in-house, with a power increase in all versions.
Paired with an asynchronous front motor, the new configuration delivers up to 500 kW of total power in the Performance variant.
Furthermore, the brand has updated the processing chip of the vehicle — from Nvidia’s Drive AGX Xavier to its Drive AGX Orin.
The Polestar 3, which the brand calls “the first European software-defined vehicle,” has its processing power increased from 30 to 254 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
Polestar is offering current owners of the Polestar 3 the implementation of the new chip when it is available.
The complimentary chip change can be done in a Polestar authorized service point and is planned to start at the beginning of 2026.
According to the EV maker, the upgraded Polestar 3 will start being delivered in the UK, “due to high demand and the previous model year being sold out in that market.”
From January 1 to August 31, the brand sold 9,872 vehicles in the UK — tripling from the units registered in the same period a year ago.
In early September, according to its website, the SUV was priced from £67,910 ($90,700).
The British website, now updated to feature the new version of the Polestar 3, lists the starting price at £69,990 ($93,500), with an estimated delivery time of five to six months.
With the introduction of the new Polestar 3, the company has introduced a new trim structure, categorizing the model by motor type — Rear Motor or Dual Motor — and distinguishing the Performance variant as a separate edition.
In the US, the Long Range Single Motor (equivalent to the Rear Motor) has a starting price of $67,500. However, the company is currently offering a limited-time discount of $10,000, bringing the price down to $57,500.
Last month, the Gothenburg-based company debuted its Polestar 5 four-door performance Grand Tourer on Monday, at Germany’s IAA Auto Show.
The production model is based on the Polestar Precept concept first unveiled in 2020 and introduces the company’s first 800-volt electrical architecture and in-house developed rear motor.
Speaking with UK media outlet Autocar, Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller said the EV maker will prioritize working on its Polestar 7 over the roadster model.
The brand’s chief executive said that the Polestar 7, unlike the Polestar 6 roadster, will give the company its biggest volume potential yet, as prices go lower.
