Volvo Cars has announced that its Polestar performance arm will be transformed into a new “separately branded” electrified high-performance car company.
The Swedish brand took full ownership of Polestar Performance in July 2015. But under the new set-up, Polestar will offer Polestar-branded vehicles no longer carrying a Volvo logo, as well as “optimisation packages” for Volvo’s range of existing cars under the “Polestar Engineered” brand.
Thomas Ingenlath, senior vice president for design at Volvo, will assume the position of CEO at Polestar.
“Thomas heading up the Polestar organisation shows our commitment to establishing a truly differentiated stand-alone brand within the Volvo Car Group,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars.
Ingenlath will be joined at Polestar by Jonathan Goodman, who will become chief operating officer. Goodman moves from his position as senior vice president for corporate communication at Volvo Cars.
“Polestar will be a credible competitor in the emerging global market for high-performance electrified cars. With Polestar, we are able to offer electrified cars to the world’s most demanding, progressive drivers in all market segments,” said Samuelsson.
Ingenlath said he was looking forward to the challenge.
“I am really excited to take up the challenge of establishing this exciting brand, developing a fabulous portfolio of bespoke products and channelling the passion we have throughout the Polestar team. The next chapter in Polestar’s history is just beginning,” Ingenlath said.
Polestar will make further announcements about its “products, industrialisation and commercial plans” later this year.
The new follows last year’s quotes from Lex Kerssemakers, Volvo Cars North America president and CEO, who said that Polestar would take on the likes of Mercedes-AMG and BMW M in its own way.
