Latest news with #MichaelLohscheller
Top Gear
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Polestar 3 - long-term review 2025
Did you know that there was a full-blooded racing circuit in Gothenburg, in an area of the city's docklands called Frihamnspiren? Thed Björk won a round of the Swedish Touring Car Championship there when the track first opened, back in 2008. A few years after that I hammered a Volvo S60 'Polestar Engineered' round the place, and very good it was too. That was when Polestar was the Volvo equivalent of AMG or M. The Scandinavians aren't exclusively about hygge and cosy-knit well-being. Now, of course, Polestar is a well-established independent entity, though part of the Geely mega-corps that also owns Lotus, Volvo and various other brands including Zeekr and Lynk & Co. It encountered some financial and HR headwinds last year, including a precipitous share price plunge and the replacement of original CEO Thomas Ingenlath. The previously pristeen optics took a hit. Advertisement - Page continues below New boss Michael Lohscheller is a numbers dude, and he's seeking sales uplift. Polestar sold 44,851 cars last year, a 15 per cent decline compared to 2023, but retail sales are up by 76 per cent in Q1 of this year, bolstered by the arrival of the 3 and 4. Polestar, as per the original vision, is an electric premium brand which puts performance and design at its core. My top two attributes in any car. Like the BMW iX and the misunderstood Jaguar I-Pace, the 3 breaks the conventions associated with the large SUV format, more successfully than either of those. Ingenlath and Max Missoni – Polestar's former design boss, now ensconced in a senior position at BMW – are two of the industry's top creative talents and the 3 is proof of their unerring eye for form, stance and detailing. The chunky nose contains an S-duct for aero purposes, the roofline is as low as any SUV-ish vehicle dares go, and the surfaces are clean without being clinical. The interior is similarly stark but we'll get into that in more detail in a later report. TG's car is well-appointed to say the least. It's the Long Range Dual Motor with the Performance Pack, so it's good for 510bhp and a resounding 671lb ft. These would have been top tier supercar numbers not so long ago, and are still punchy enough to get your attention. The extra grunt hurts the range a bit, reducing it to 348 miles (WLTP) from 390. Real world, we're looking at around 300, especially as the weather warms up. Then there are the options. The interior is finished in Nappa leather, with black ash deco on the dash. This is responsibly sourced, meets the 'five freedoms' test of animal welfare, and costs £5,000. I could live without the £2,300 Pilot Pack that adds various bits of ADAS. But the Plus Pack is a no-brainer for a music obsessed audiophile like me, given that it brings with it the Bowers & Wilkins upgrade. This is a 1,610 watt, 25 speaker powerhouse, with front headrest speakers, Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound, and soon an OTA update that'll add the spectacular Abbey Road sound stage. More on that soon. Advertisement - Page continues below The Plus Pack also includes active noise cancellation, acoustic glass and heated seats. Metallic paint, HD LED headlights and 22in polished black alloys round the options tally to £12,300.
WIRED
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- WIRED
What the Polestar 4 Lacks in Rear Windows It Makes Up in Personality
Polestar, according to the original mission statement, is an electric premium brand that puts performance and design at its core. To which we might also add 'it's not Tesla' as an increasingly potent selling point. New boss Michael Lohscheller, to the best of our knowledge, has never waved a chainsaw around in a meeting, but he's certainly prioritizing efficiencies and commercial uplift—and he needs to. Polestar sold 44,851 cars globally last year, a 15 percent decline compared to 2023, but retail sales are up by 76 percent in Q1 this year (from relatively small volumes), bolstered by the arrival of the 3 and 4—and Elon Musk's monumental hubris. The fact remains, though, that while the brand's gross margin has now thankfully flipped from negative to positive, Polestar has still lost a thumping $190 million so far this year, while securing $1.7 billion in credit since end of last year. The 4 is very much here as part of the plan to reverse such fortunes, and as this model isn't made in China it can look to US consumers for help. The lack of a rear windscreen is a bold design choice. Courtesy of Polestar The 4 bears the imprimatur of Polestar's rigorous design-oriented philosophy. The previous boss, Thomas Ingenlath, rose to prominence from the automotive design world, and his de facto number two, Max Missoni (now a senior designer at BMW), was tasked with delivering a coupe svelteness that the 4's underfloor battery and overall architecture didn't readily lend itself it to. Rear View Filler The solution, then, is eye-catching. Move the header rail back so that it sits behind the second row occupants' heads rather than above them, creating an unusually generous amount of headroom in the rear. Luxuriate in the benefits brought by a wheelbase that's a solitary millimeter shy of three meters. Then delete the back window. The result is a pleasingly fastback silhouette and a uniquely cocooning rear compartment. Any incipient claustrophobia is offset by the presence of a huge panoramic roof and the option of electro-chromatic glass. The interior, however, is the best yet from Polestar. Courtesy of Polestar
NZ Autocar
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Polestar 5 GT will debut in Munich with ultrafast charging
Another Porsche Taycan rival is close to launch. Special features include a particularly rigid platform with fresh battery tech that permits charging in minutes. Full details and a reveal of the GT's interior await September's Munich motor show. Underpinning the GT, which closely resembles the Precept concept of 2020, is a British-engineered chassis with heroic levels of stiffness. The Model 5 from Polestar is the first to use the new scalable aluminium architecture developed by the firm at its MIRA proving facility. This new platform design will also feature in the drop-top Polestar 6 sports car due out next year. The platform is claimed to offer 'carbon fibre levels of torsional stiffness, like a two-door sports model'. There's also the 800V electrical architecture that permits 'extreme fast-charging'. Polestar says the 5's rapid-charging capability means it can add 160km of range in five minutes without battery degradation long term. Polestar CEO, Michael Lohscheller, said that full charging time comes down to 18 or 19 minutes with the 800v architecture. The so-called extreme fast-charging (XFC) is a collaboration between Polestar and StoreDot, which the car maker part owns. Check out our review of Polestar 4 here. Evidently, XFC can be integrated into existing battery technology, saving on development funds. StoreDot CEO, Doron Myersdorf, stated 'It's a game-changer as it uses traditional lithium ion and then adapts it for fast charging.' Polestar has already confirmed a power output of 652kW and 900Nm of torque from its twin electric motors. The rear motor alone is good for 450kW. The company claims its flagship EV will be the lightest in its class. That's in part because the 5's body is made from bonded aluminium, as is the chassis. Polestar UK chief engineer, Dave Kane, says the result is also 'class-leading ride and handling dynamics'. Evidently the battery pack, size as yet unspecified, is integrated within the platform. Polestar has used its most obvious competitor, the Taycan, for benchmarking. However, the Swede is aiming for more everyday compliance rather than chasing sports car handling alone. They describe its character as 'engaging but also comfortable'. Evidently motorsport-derived underbody aerodynamics and a slippery body shape add to its overall performance. It rides almost as low as an ICE power car, according to Polestar, no easy feat for an EV. Much of the engineering work on the 5 is with an eye to future Polestar products. The 6 will be the second model to be built on the new architecture. Both will be produced in the same factory from 2026. The Model 6 launches a year after the 5 arrives.
Auto Express
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Polestar unveils Tesla as number one target of new growth plan
Polestar boss Michael Lohscheller is bullish that the EV start-up will survive the next five years, due to its ongoing new-car offensive, Tesla-targeting marketing and green shoots in its quarterly results. Sitting down with the CEO at the FT's Future of the Car summit, Auto Express asked why loss-making Polestar – whose share price remains marooned just above $1 (76p), about 300 times lower than Tesla's – would still be here in 2030? Advertisement - Article continues below 'Because we have fantastic cars, we focus on inspiring design, great performance and sustainability,' he shot back. 'We have access to the best technology in the world and we focus on the right execution.' Loscheller, who joined the company in autumn 2024 tasked with turning Polestar around, has delivered some green shoots in his second quarter as boss. Sales rose 76 per cent with the Polestar 4 coupe-SUV and Polestar 3 large SUV gaining a foothold in the EV market – but remain modest: just 12,306 cars were delivered. Polestar is gunning for Tesla in the US, offering customers who switch allegiance a $5,000 incentive. Would Loscheller do the same in Europe? 'We have various campaigns in place, sometimes specifically addressing Tesla customers,' he told us. 'They're interesting [to us] because they're early adopters who know EV technology, they know charging.' He cites a campaign in Norway that, through clever use of fonts, looked like the word 'Tesla' in Norwegian but actually asked: have you tested a Polestar? Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below But why would a Tesla customer come to Polestar, especially given Elon Musk's brand has built its own proprietary charging network? 'We have [access to that] in many countries: charging is not a big issue anymore,' he retorts, citing a deal for Polestar drivers to use the network. 'So why do they come to us? They definitely say they like the design, performance and sustainability. And there are many Teslas out there: do you want to drive a car which everybody else is driving?' The Polestar 7 – a compact SUV – is being fast-tracked to market, pushing the open-top 6 down the pecking order and possibly stealing its nameplate. For the first time, this Polestar won't be produced in China or the United States. 'We have decided to localise [Polestar 7 production] in Europe because Europe is our strongest market,' said the Polestar boss. 'Not only because of tariffs, but it makes sense to have it here. We will actually announce a specific location in a few weeks time.' The company outsources its manufacturing to Volvo and Geely, and the choice will be between Volvo plants in Sweden or Ghent, Belgium. Advertisement - Article continues below Every current Polestar sits on a different platform, which goes completely against the industry logic of maximising scale. The forthcoming 7 will be based on a new global architecture, co-developed with Geely and Volvo, an iteration of which will almost certainly underpin the replacement for the Volvo EX40. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below 'We have access to probably the best EV technology in the world. So how about we integrate this in a group architecture, and it's our intention to use it and harmonize our platforms over time,' confirmed the boss. The new platform will be able to underpin low-riding saloons and high-riding crossovers, and will have the flexibility to stretch length, track and wheelbase to cover all Polestar's core models. 'You also need to have the software stacks and central core compute [the network of ultra-fast processors]. All this can be done but it needs to be well planned and executed,' Polestar's boss told us. 'It took years for the companies who have done it.' Lohscheller confirms that the compact SUV will be the smallest Polestar: he has no intention of launching a supermini-sized car below it. But Polestar also has wriggle room to call it the 1, given that the 7 being launched ahead of the 6 will throw Polestar's consecutive numbering convention (like Apple iPhones) into doubt. 'It doesn't make sense to call the Polestar 7 the 7 when the Polestar 6 will come at a later stage,' Lohscholler teased. But that could also mean the baby SUV is just called the Polestar 6. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Unpicking the disparate numerical order – not arranged by size as per the BMW 1 to 7-series – will be tricky given that cars are replaced at different frequencies and two cars could never share the same showroom badge. One thing is for sure: the new boss disapproves of the naming strategy. 'We discussed it when I came in,' he admitted. '[Once these two cars are launched] we have a super-strong portfolio, and then you talk about successors. But don't expect the Polestar 15 to happen!' So could Polestar switch to names instead to enable a reordering? 'No, the brand is more important. We just have a few cars so it's not that confusing.' The second-generation Polestar 2 will be the first Polestar to be replaced, and it's likely to retain its high-riding saloon bodystyle while growing in size, Lohscheller confirmed, addressing criticism of its shortage of rear-seat space. But the next new Polestar – coming this year – is the flagship GT, the 5. It's a very different to Polestar's other saloon – the 2 – packing high-performance motors and big, flagship positioning. 'It's super high end with a bonded aluminum [chassis], 800 volts, super high performance. Fantastic, I like the car a lot. But we need more volume.' Lohscheller believes the biggest change in 'execution' he's made is investing in the dealer network. Polestar sales were initially online only and without discounts: the new CEO is determined to attract new dealer partners and grow the retail base to the correct size, to give customer prospects a focal part for a test drive, to find out information on the technology and finance offers and to cut a deal. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The UK is driving Polestar's growth: it was the brand's biggest global market in the first three months of 2025, accounting for 28 per cent of sales. In contrast the US contributes just 11 per cent and China is even smaller, despite the company being owned by Geely: the big problem is that it's perceived as a Scandinavian brand with unusual, minimalist design rather than being seen as a domestic one. Why is the comparatively small UK the growth driver? 'We do very well in [company car sales], which is of highest importance here in the UK. I think we've also found the sweet spot between price premium and volume: we could make every car 20 per cent more expensive but then you don't have those volume results.' The boss has met all of the UK's 10 retailers and is recruiting to expand this to 17 nationwide. Put it all together and the brand is creating 'momentum', said Lohscheller. And will this grow the share price? 'It's relatively simple, in my view: it's about consistency of action. I came in September. We analysed the situation in 100 days, outlined the clear plan. Now we execute. 'Quarter one was a very, very good start but it's only a quarter. Investors ask: 'what about the second quarter [and more besides]?' Once I think they see this is going to take off, the stock price will amend accordingly. But it's also fair to say we operate in an environment which is not that easy!' 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Auto Car
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Dealer 'renaissance' and new models boost Polestar sales by 76%
Close The new boss of Polestar has hailed the 'renaissance' of traditional dealerships as a factor in the brand's dramatic revenue and sales growth in recent months. Speaking at the Financial Times Future of the Car event in London, Michael Lohscheller said that Polestar's transitioning away from an agency sales model to a more traditional retail structure was instrumental in it achieving an 84% growth in revenue and a 76% sales uptick in the first quarter of 2025. Lohscheller, who announced the shift away from agency shortly after taking the CEO job last September, said: 'What I didn't like was the direct-to-consumer approach.
