Geely-owned Polestar has upgraded its flagship SUV, Polestar 3, for the 2026 model year.
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It now comes with 800 Volt electrical architecture on its SPA2 platform and peak DC charging rate of up to 350 kW.
Polestar says the upgrade enables significantly faster DC charging with a peak rate of up to 350 kW, meaning that the 10–80% battery charge benchmark can take as little as 22 minutes, which is more than 25% faster than before.
It is also claimed the new architecture also brings enhanced efficiency, up to 6% according to the WLTP cycle, and supports the integration of new lithium-ion batteries from supplier CATL: a 92 kWh battery pack for the Rear motor version and a 106 kWh battery pack for the Dual motor and Performance variants.
Michael Lohscheller, Polestar’s CEO, says: “The upgrades to Polestar 3 are so extensive, it’s like an entirely new car. With this upgrade we continue to deliver on our commitment to add value for our customers through over-the-air software and hardware updates. The already amazing Polestar 3 is now better than ever.”
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By GlobalDataAll versions of Polestar 3 now benefit from a new in-house developed permanent magnet synchronous rear motor that delivers higher output. Paired with an asynchronous front motor, the new configuration delivers up to 670bhp (500 kW) of total power in the Performance variant.
The front motor now features automatic disconnect functionality when not needed, just as on Dual motor versions of Polestar 2, improving efficiency and range during everyday driving. The new rear motor also means the power balance has shifted to a greater rear bias than before. Combined with updated anti-roll bars and extensive software refinement for the steering, the result is an even more direct and engaging driving experience across all model variants.
Greater computing power for ‘Europe’s first software-defined vehicle’
Polestar also claims the model is the first European software-defined vehicle, now with a major upgrade to its core computing system that is the foundation. The NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin processor replaces the previous Xavier unit, increasing processing power from 30 to 254 trillion operations per second (TOPS). This leap, it says, means a more than eight times increase in computing power for ‘faster, more intelligent management of active safety systems, battery performance, and sensor data’.
In line with Polestar’s commitment to continuous improvement, the hardware upgrade will also be offered as a complimentary retrofit to all existing Polestar 3 customers, with upgrades of customer cars planned to start in the beginning of 2026.
