Volvo is adding production of a new electric sport-utility vehicle to its factory in South Carolina, company officials announced.
The Post and Courier reports that the Swedish automaker will invest $118 million in its Ridgeville assembly plant to equip it for production of the Polestar 3 SUV beginning next year.
Volvo and Geely, its Chinese parent company, jointly own Polestar, an ambitious electric vehicle company that aims to be completely carbon-neutral throughout the manufacturing process by 2030.
The Polestar 3, which follows the Polestar 1 and Polestar 2 sedans, will be the first Polestar vehicle to be produced in the U.S. The vehicle has not been unveiled yet, but company officials told The Post and Courier it would feature an aerodynamic, futuristic design. It will be aimed at the U.S. market, where it would compete with high-end electric SUVs the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X. The South Carolina-made vehicles could also be exported to other markets.
“I remember the great response when I first shared Polestar’s vision here in the U.S.A., and I am proud that our first SUV will be manufactured in South Carolina,” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath told the paper in a statement.
Volvo began production at the Ridgeville facility, its first in the U.S., in 2018. It currently makes the Volvo S60 sedan and is adding a second production line to begin production of the Volvo XC90 in 2023.
