Polestar plans to continue growing its U.K. test facility in order to achieve its goal of making high-performance, environmentally sustainable cars. To achieve that, the automaker will expand the team from 250 people to more than 500 people in the near future.
Polestar’s U.K. R&D team will work alongside the Swedish R&D team, focusing on “ground-breaking engineering solutions” to help the company reach its goals of leading the industry.
“Going electric is a pivotal moment in the history of cars,” says Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar. “The combination of British engineering talent and Swedish expertise will ensure our cars are among the highest performing and most sustainable on the road.”
The U.K. department’s current focus, then, will be on developing the production version of the Precept, a concept the company first revealed in 2020. Intended as a Tesla Model S beater, Polestar says its focus will be more on sustainability than speed.
With seats made from reclaimed plastic, carpets formed from old fishing nets, and carbon fiber-esque woven materials made from sustainable crops, the interior is a recycler’s dream. It will also be a racer’s dream too because the interior materials weigh 50 percent less than their non-renewable counterparts. The carmaker also claims that their future flagship EV will generate 80 percent less plastic waste than the average new car on the market.
“Precept is a statement of intent for the brand in terms of design, technology, and sustainability,” says Pete Allen, Head of Polestar U.K. R&D. “The production car will take an important step on the journey towards climate neutrality, and ours will be the team that delivers that.”
The company’s U.K. team will be based on the MIRA Technology Park, a world-class automotive testing and development site. The team will also have access to specialized on-site equipment, including advanced battery testing and a selection of independent operations located nearby with which to collaborate.
The production version of the electric Polestar Precept is expected to reach production before 2025.
