Polestar opens new manufacturing facility in China

Polestar, the electric performance brand, has opened its first production facility, a key milestone for the rapidly growing car company. Polestar also announced its World Manufacturing Identifier, which officiates the brand as a standalone car company.

The new Polestar Production Centre in Chengdu, China, sets a new industry benchmark in electric vehicle manufacture and will produce the Polestar 1 - an exclusive, carbon fibre bodied electric performance hybrid. The facility will produce vehicles for both China and global export markets with first customer deliveries expected before the end of 2019.

The Polestar 1, which boasts 592bhp and 1,000Nm of torque, has become the most premium new energy vehicle to be manufactured in China, the world's largest electric vehicle market.

The inauguration underlines China's maturing industrialisation, an improving reputation for quality manufacturing, and, crucially, access to the right skills.

Premium craftsmanship and the integration of high-tech digital technology come together in producing the Polestar 1. The process is overseen by highly trained quality control auditors whom, with a minimum of 10 years of experience, apply some of the strictest monitoring and assessment procedures in the industry.

The Polestar Production Centre also aims to be one of the most environmentally responsible car factories in China.

In keeping with these ambitions, the facility was conceived with the goal of achieving Gold status in the globally-recognised LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) ratings. The LEED rating prescribes a holistic approach, which challenged the team to work exclusively with suppliers that subscribe to an environmentally responsible approach.

The facility's location in Chengdu - the heart of China's most technologically advanced, environment-friendly manufacturing base - is also integral to Polestar's brand values of 'pure, progressive, performance'. Pure in its focus on sustainability, progressive in both design and technology, and showcasing performance through its exacting and precise manufacturing processes.

Designed by internationally renowned architecture and design company, Snohetta, the new Chengdu production facility also incorporates a customer experience centre including a test track and a glazed atrium offering a panoramic view over the factory floor.