Polestar is rapidly growing its global engineering capability with the expansion of a world-class R&D hub in the UK, the latest element in the brand’s development. In the last year the now 250-strong UK team has more than doubled in size and will continue to expand beyond 500 people in the future.

Polestar’s new facilities will be situated at the MIRA Technology Park – a world-class automotive testing and development site in the heart of Motorsport Valley in the UK’s Midlands. Ideally placed to take advantage of Great Britain’s world-renowned automotive engineering talent pool located in and around the area, the UK R&D team has diverse expertise rarely seen within traditional OEMs.

Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, said:

“Going electric is a pivotal moment in the history of cars. The combination of British engineering talent and Swedish expertise will ensure our cars are among the highest performing and most sustainable on the road.”

Working alongside the R&D team in Sweden allows the UK team to focus on ground-breaking engineering solutions in a bid to help Polestar reach its goals. The UK R&D team will play a crucial role in the brand’s continued evolution, immediately focusing on the development of the Polestar Precept, first revealed in 2020, and confirmed for production before 2025.

“Precept is a statement of intent for the brand in terms of design, technology and sustainability,” said Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK R&D. “The production car will take an important step on the journey towards climate neutrality, and ours will be the team that delivers that.”

With access to a variety of specialised on-site equipment, including advanced battery testing, an extensive test track network and a selection of other independent operations based at the facility, the MIRA Technology Park was an obvious choice for the progressive Swedish brand.

The expansion of Polestar’s R&D capabilities follows on from the continued growth of its model line-up, plans to increase its global sales footprint by the end of 2022, and the move to manufacture Polestar 3 in the USA as well as China.