Polestar has confirmed it has established a new research and development centre in Coventry, West Midlands.
The new facility, expected to be linked to parent company Geely’s design studio close to the city, will allow the Volvo-linked performance brand to 'increase its own R&D capabilities and further strengthens the brand’s ability to engineer its future electric performance vehicles'.
Polestar says Coventry appeals as 'one of the world’s most prominent automotive engineering environments'. Though there is far less large-scale car manufacturing around the city today than there was during the 20th century, Jaguar Land Rover’s global HQ is still located there and a number of automotive engineering and technology firms are well established.
Polestar’s facility will initially employ around 60 engineers to support the development of the next generation of the brand’s all-electric models, beyond the already confirmed Polestar 3. That team will expand throughout 2019, supplementing an existing R&D team that's based in Sweden.
Hans Pehrson, Research and Development boss, says “Polestar’s role as a technology spearhead requires new and developing skills in low-volume, light-weight, multi-material performance car engineering, and the new UK operation will allow us to take the next steps towards our future cars”.