COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Polestar is poised to shake up Europe's key premium large SUV segment amid strong demand for full-electric cars.
When it arrives next year, the battery-electric Polestar 3, the Volvo Cars subsidiary's first SUV, which made its global debut here Wednesday, will join models such as the segment-leading BMW X5 and the German automaker's new full-electric entrant, the iX, which is already Europe's No. 4-selling model in the class (see table at bottom of story).
There has also been strong uptake for battery-driven models in Europe's premium midsize SUV segment, where the Tesla Model Y leads the Mercedes-Benz GLC; the luxury sedan niche, where the Porsche Taycan has a big advantage over the Mercedes S-Class; and the midsize premium segment where the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 rank No. 3 and No. 6, respectively. Demand for Polestar's only other model is up nearly 60 percent this year, according to market researcher Dataforce.
Through eight months European sales of electric cars were up 28 percent to nearly 840,000, Dataforce figures show.