Polestar 3 & Volvo EX90 delayed, Polestar 4 still on course; Q1 sales results announced

Australian pricing for the Polestar 3 electric SUV was announced in February, a year out from the start of deliveries, but buyers will now be waiting even longer.

The Volvo EX90 faces the same delays overseas, but possibly not for Australia.

In an announcement issued this week, focused largely on the brand's continuing sales success, Polestar said the new 3 SUV needs "additional time for final software development" on the electric vehicle platform it shares with Geely stablemate Volvo – whose related new EX90 SUV is affected by the same delay.

Volvo EX90 may not arrive in Australia any later than planned

Specific local timing for the big seven-seat Volvo EX90 – revealed in November 2022 – had not yet been announced before this latest development, apart from merely late in 2024.

The EX90's start of production has been delayed, but, speaking with Wheels today, a spokesperson for the brand's local arm said that for now at least, these delays may not affect Australian timing.

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The big new Volvo EX90 electric SUV will reach Australia in late 2024

Polestar 3 Australian launch likely now mid-year 2024

Production of the Polestar 3 is now not expected to begin until sometime in the first quarter of 2024, rather than late 2023.

A local spokesperson for Polestar was unable to confirm specific local timing for the 3, but it is likely that Australian deliveries will now not begin until sometime in the second quarter of 2024 at the earliest – if not closer to mid-year.

For now, the brand's local arm says it will not disclose how many orders have been taken for the Polestar 3.

Polestar 4 still on track for early 2024 in Australia

Importantly, Polestar's second new upcoming model, the Polestar 4 – revealed at the Shanghai motor show in April – is officially still on track for an early 2024 launch in Australia.

How much will the Polestar 4 cost in Australia?

Local pricing is still to be revealed, but we expect the 4 to enter somewhere below the 3's $132,900 starting price.

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Polestar reports strong sales growth, expected to continue into 2024

The focus of Polestar's announcement today was less on delays and more on the brand's growth.

With a global first-quarter sales result of 12,076 cars, the Chinese-owned brand has seen a 26 per cent year-on-year increase.

Despite delays, the company expects to reach around 60,000 to 70,000 sales by the end of 2023 – compared to the 51,491 sales recorded in 2023, and "over 100,000 sales across 27 markets" up to now, five years into its journey as a standalone brand in the Geely empire.

Polestar is not immune to current economic trends, however, confirming this week that has initiated a global hiring freeze. The company will also sack 10 per cent of its current workforce, although it did not specify which areas of the business would be affected.

Likewise, the company has not offered details on its profitability, but CEO Thomas Ingenlath says he is "confident that we will deliver on our growth ambitions and path towards profitability".

In Australia, the brand has recorded 670 sales year-to-date (to end of April) for the Polestar 2, compared to 208 in 2022 – its first year on sale.

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