Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath is a bonafide automotive fanatic. He pushed to make the bottom Polestar 2 rear- as a substitute of front-wheel drive, and he’s shepherding the Polestar 5 four-door GT and Polestar 6 roadster into manufacturing. Ingenlath additionally helped flip the restricted BST Edition 270 and Edition 230 of the Polestar 2 into actuality. At the New York International Auto Show, Ingenlath confirmed to Motor1 that extra BST editions are on their method. 

He didn’t present a timeline or specifics but, however the earlier BST version automobiles give us an thought of what to anticipate. Essentially decrease, stiffer suspension, stickier tires, and many styling tweaks to speak the automotive’s elevated efficiency. Both BST variations of the Polestar 2 had the identical 476 horsepower because the common dual-motor sedan, however paired that with stiffer springs, a decrease experience peak, distinctive Ohlins dampers, distinctive wheels, and a customized spec of Pirelli tire. Polestar made 270 examples of the BST 270 and—you guessed it—230 examples of the BST 230. Evidently, they had been obtained nicely sufficient to maintain the mission going. 

While each the Polestar 3 and 4 had been delayed, Ingenlath says progress is sweet on the 5 sedan. He pulls out his cellphone to indicate us footage he posted to Instagram of pre-production automobiles rolling down the meeting line.  

We additionally requested concerning the perceived slowdown of EV gross sales within the U.S., and he had an fascinating perspective on the scenario. He doesn’t assume individuals are souring on electrical automobiles. “It’s just simply a period in economic time where people, of course, are more cautious about a purchase decision,” he says. “That has to do with interest rates, it has to do with psychology, and Jesus, the world is not in an easy place…. For the first time, EVs [have] experienced an economic cycle.” 

There’s additionally the truth that Polestar has completely different targets than different EV makers. “Let’s face it,” Ingenlath says, “we are not pitching for the million that Tesla is wanting to sell, we are not in competition with BYD. We are in competition with companies like BMW, Porsche and Mercedes.” He additionally argues that Polestar’s competitors extends past simply EVs—a Polestar 3, for instance, must tempt somebody out of a BMW X5, not simply an iX.  

With Polestar 3 deliveries starting this summer season and Polestar 4 deliveries deliberate for the fourth quarter, it is a massive 12 months for the model within the US. Thankfully, each fashions are cheaper than initially anticipated, one thing Ingenlath credit to robust residuals for the Polestar 2. Still, 2024 is a make-or-break 12 months for Polestar. Hopefully it’ll succeed, and we’ll get some extra efficiency fashions.