SWEDISH car maker Volvo has acquired 100 per cent of its partner high performance car brand Polestar, and will use the company to create special high performance models and develop twin engine electrification technology.
Volvo is the leader in advanced vehicle electrification technology, and currently develops and manufactures some of the most powerful and most environmentally-friendly hybrid engines in the automotive industry.
Volvo and Polestar share a long history. They have been working in motor sport since 1996 and in recent years signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop enhanced versions of Volvo cars that combine a comfortable Volvo driving experience with a very high level of power and handling.
“Driving a Volvo Polestar is a special experience. We have decided to bring this experience to more Volvo drivers, placing the full resources of Volvo behind the development of Polestar as the model name for our high performance cars,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars.
In 2015, Volvo expects to sell 750 257kW Polestar versions of the V60 wagon and S60 sedan globally. Polestar sales are forecast to increase to between 1,000 and 1,500 cars a year in the medium term under Volvo’s ownership.
The brand is already firmly established internationally through the sale of specially badged Volvos. Volvo will also benefit from the sale of aftermarket performance optimisation kits for existing Volvos.
No financial details of the deal have been disclosed. Existing Polestar Performance employees will become Volvo employees.
The racing teams, which includes involvement in Garry Rogers Motorsport in V8 Supercars, is not included in the purchase, and will remain under the control of Christian Dahl, the former brand owner, and will be renamed Cyan Racing. The brand will continue to work alongside Christian Dahl.
“We are extremely satisfied with the way the performance business with Volvo has developed. But we are a racing team first and foremost. This is an opportunity to return our full attention to our core business – to develop and race Volvo cars,” said Christian Dahl.
