Polestar has announced that the Polestar 5 electric performance 4-door GT will be built on a new bonded aluminum platform when it debuts in 2024.
Exclusive to Polestar, the brand-new, bespoke platform has been developed in-house by over 280 engineers from the company’s UK R&D team based in Coventry, England. This team previously worked on projects such as Formula 1 race cars, low-volume vehicles, and sports cars.
Polestar has chosen bonded aluminum because it is lightweight and rigid, offering "superlative performance and environmental advantages."
While this technology has previously proven labor-intensive and difficult to use in mass-production vehicles without sacrificing quality, the company says its engineering team have developed an entirely new, faster manufacturing process that develops both body and platform in unison.
Gallery: Polestar 5 bonded aluminum electric vehicle platform
By using this technology for Polestar's first in-house platform, the Polestar 5 is said to offer torsional rigidity superior to that of a traditional two-seat sports car or supercar. The bespoke platform has also enabled the carmaker to deliver a production model that remains true to the Precept concept car that inspired it.
Thanks to new materials and techniques involved, there are also significant weight advantages, as the body-in-white (completed platform and body) is expected to weigh less than that of cars in smaller segments. Obviously, a lighter body-in-white contributes to improved efficiency, real-world EV range and dynamic responsiveness—all while delivering leading safety levels.
Polestar also says the new bonded aluminum platform will help drive higher vehicle quality and a faster introduction of the product to market.
"We knew we wanted this car to be lightweight, we knew we wanted high quality and we knew we wanted it quickly. This architecture delivers outstanding dynamic and safety attributes, with low investment technology applicable to high production volumes."
Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK R&D
The UK R&D unit is leading global efforts to develop the Polestar 5, which is scheduled to debut in 2024 as the brand's flagship. This year, Polestar will launch its first SUV, the Polestar 3, followed by a smaller SUV coupe in 2023, the Polestar 4.
