Ano horribilis for Polestar, with a total of 54,600 cars sold, well below the 80,000 forecasted at the start of 2023, which contributed to the decision to immediately reduce about 15% of its employees, nearly 450 jobs globally. Still, high expectations for 2024 at the Swedish brand, a year in which the sales of the Polestar 4 are expected to greatly accelerate, but also the world premiere of the 5, with credentials to challenge the competition. The future GT, with over five meters in length, a competitor to the Porsche Taycan, will raise the bar in the Nordic brand’s catalog, incorporating cutting-edge technology from the Israelis at StoreDot, the company responsible for the development of the integrated ultra-fast battery, which will equip the new model.
StoreDot claims that its XFC technology, with new electrodes that prevent overheating of sensitive parts of the battery, is easily scalable, so the cells can be integrated into other existing packs. Earlier, Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, confirmed the agreement with the Koreans at SK On for the supply of battery cell modules with a high nickel content, which include ultralong cells of 56 cm with high energy density, with the brand’s goal being to offer its customers exactly what thermal vehicles offer, the shortest possible “refueling” time.
StoreDot announces 160 kilometers of charge in just five minutes for the new batteries.