Polestar announced today that it signed a lithium-ion battery cell supply agreement for the upcoming Polestar 5 model with South Korean battery manufacturer SK On.
The performance 4-door GT, based on the Precept concept car, will be powered by SK On’s ultra-long 22-inch (56 cm) cells. According to the press release, the high-performing chemistry (a high-nickel one), is promised to offer high energy density for “superior driving range,” fast charging, efficient discharging, and “superb safety.”
There are no precise numbers, but it’s expected that the specs will be pretty strong, in line with other high-end electric cars. According to the previous reports, the model will be equipped with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain rated at up to 650 kilowatts of power and 900 Newton-meters of torque. Meanwhile, the target range might be as high as 373 miles (600 km).
Production of the Polestar 5 is currently planned for 2025, which is a slight delay compared to 2024 that was hinted at earlier.
An interesting thing is that, according to SK On (established by SK Innovation), in 2021, the wider SK Group invested in Polestar through a New Mobility Fund and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) “to strengthen their collaboration in the field of electric vehicles.”
In other words, in the future, we might see more Polestar models with SK On batteries, in addition to LG Energy Solution and CATL, which were selected initially in 2019. We have asked Polestar about what differentiates the SK On batteries from the ones used currently and will update this story if we receive a response.
Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, said: “Our relationship with SK On has been fruitful following our initial MOU and their investment in our brand. Polestar 5 is developing at pace and will feature this high-capacity battery to provide the performance expected of our grand tourer.”
Jee Dong-seob, CEO of SK On, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Polestar on its top-tier EV model. We will solidify our partnership with Polestar and create new opportunities through this agreement.”
During the third quarter of 2023, Polestar sold almost 14,000 all-electric cars, while its plan for 2023 is to deliver 60,000-70,000 vehicles total.
