Major technical improvements include a shift to an 800V electrical architecture, which enables a peak DC charging rate of up to 350kW and a quoted 10 to 80 percent charging time of as little as 22 minutes. This architecture also provides an efficiency improvement of up to 6 percent, depending on version and cycle. Polestar has added Breathe Charge software that monitors the battery in real time and adjusts charging speed to optimize performance in various conditions, including cooler weather. According to Polestar, this software can add as much as 38 percent more range in a 10-minute charging session compared to the previous setup without it.
Performance and handling enhancements feature a new in-house rear motor, updated anti-roll bars, and extensive steering software refinement. The vehicle also sees a major leap in core computing power due to switching from the NVIDIA Xavier unit to the new DRIVE AGX Orin processor, increasing processing power from 30 to 254 trillion operations per second. This increased power underpins everything from active safety to battery performance and sensor management.
Market positioning is clearer with versions called Rear motor, Dual motor, and Performance. UK pricing is £76,540 for the Rear motor, £84,540 for the Dual motor, and £92,040 for the Performance. The revised Polestar 3 is positioned directly in the premium electric SUV fight with a specification and depth of engineering that justify its positioning better than some rivals. From behind the wheel, it feels even closer to what a big premium EV should be, being more comfortable, with more natural steering, hugely welcome charging improvements, and better quality.
Unknowns include the exact power output increase for each version and how the Breathe Charge software's 38% range improvement in 10 minutes compares to competitors' charging technologies.