► New Polestar 6 is confirmed
► The first all-electric roadster?
► O2 concept gets the go-ahead
The new Polestar 6 has sold out its entire first production run of 500 cars – just a week after being publicly announced. The convertible isn’t due on sale until 2026.
The rapidly expanding Swedish EV specialist hopes to become the first manufacturer to launch a convertible electric car. To date, car makers have focused on sensible and higher-volume hatchback and SUV EVs, but here’s proof that fun cars can survive the transition to electric, too.
Polestar announced at Monterey Car Week that it would turn the O2 concept car into the Polestar 6 – an electric car with a folding hard top. Its silent propulsion system should be well matched to the alfresco thrills of fresh-air motoring.
No prizes for guessing that the Volvo offshoot is naming its launch cars after the order in which they launch. A quick cheat’s guide is as follows:
Read more about the Polestar O2 concept
An electric roadster? Great! When can I buy the Polestar 6?
Production confirmation came in late August 2022, but sun-seekers will have to wait until 2026 for the 6 to be commercially available in showrooms. That’s because the Gothenburg brand has its hands full launching one new electric car every year, as it scales up.
Our guide to Polestar EVs
The Polestar 6 won’t be cheap: a spokeswoman suggested a price tag around the $200,000 mark, pointing to an RRP of £170k in the UK.
Five hundred launch-special LA Concept Editions will arrive first and customers can put down a $25k (£20k) deposit to secure one.
However, unlike the 1, the Polestar 6 will be a full production car – enabled by the clever-clogs aluminium architecture developed by Polestar’s UK engineering facility near Coventry. This team taps into the low-volume production knowledge base among local Aston Martin and Lotus R&D specialists.
Engineering and specs
The Polestar 6’s new aluminium-intensive platform has a powerful technical heart. The O2 concept had twin electric motors with a combined 650kW output (equivlent to 872bhp and 664lb ft) powered by an 800-volt electrical architecture.
Acceleration is promised to be blistering, with Polestar claiming 0-62mph in 3.2sec and a top speed capped at 155mph. We don’t expect the production car to be any slower.
‘With the overwhelming consumer and press response, we took the decision to put this stunning roadster into production and I am so excited to make it a reality,’ said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. ‘Polestar 6 is a perfect combination of powerful electric performance and the thrill of fresh air with the top down.’
Read all our Polestar reviews