⚡️🔋Current Events 04/20/2023: Cybertruck Pilot Line, Volkswagen ID.7, Polestar 4
Polestar stretches the term SUV to its limit, the VW Passat's electric successor is revealed, and Tesla's Starship-steel Polygon is now rendering.
Good morning friends,
Welcome back to Current Events, where we bring you news and lore from the world of electrification. This week brings some compelling new vehicle announcements from three big auto manufacturers. Let’s jump right in.
Polestar 4
The folks at Polestar have finally done an unveiling of their new performance “SUV coupe”, the Polestar 4. It’s bigger than the Polestar 2, and smaller than the Polestar 3. It seems Geely are looking to target Model Y Performance customers with this design.
From a first glance, it looks incredible. Very sharp and aggressive front with an innovative rear design. The decision to rely on a camera with a total absence of a rear windshield is bold and I like it. I would not mind this as a driver depending on where the camera would display its information. My preference would be a display exactly where the rearview mirror would be.
I think they’ve done a great job in both form and style. That said, I still find it quite comical that in the industry there remains a pathological aversion to calling this form factor what it is. It’s a lifted wagon and I’m tired of pretending it’s not. The term SUV is being rendered meaningless with every vehicle the marketing departments get a hold of. The Polestar 4 proudly continues this glorified process of linguistic decay. Now that my irrational gripes at nomenclature are out of the way, let’s get into the specs of this high-performance, SUV cou– cough cough lifted wagon.
Polestar 4 Specs:
102 kWh battery fitted to both variants
Range target of 560 km / 348 mi (WLTP); expect EPA to bring range figures more realistically to around ~480 km / ~300 mi
Long Range Single Motor version will possess 200 kW motor at the rear for up to 600 km / 373 mi (WLTP); no EPA numbers for this variant either
200 kW Level 3 DC charging capability / 22 kW Level 2 AC charging capability
Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) capability is available at launch but no power output specs to this feature were revealed yet
Standard heat pump in all variants for maximized efficiency and range.
Length of 4.8 meters / 15.8 ft
0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds (0-100 kmh in 3.8 seconds)
Long Range Dual-Motor Peak Power Output of 400 kW / 544 hp
39 cm / 15.4 in landscape display for Android Automotive OS with Apple CarPlay available standard
10.2 in driver display with added 14.7 in HUD projection in front of the driver
Harman Kardon audio is available with 12 speakers and 1400 W amp, or additional two headrest speakers with optional Nappa Pack, raising total to 16.
Glass roof available with optional electrochromic functionality, allowing for opaque or transparent execution depending on the mood.
Rear-view mirror is replaced by a high-definition screen that shows a real-time feed from a roof-mounted rear camera
First production in China in November 2023; full-scale launch for Europe, North America and Asia Pacific is planned for early 2024
Final pricing will be communicated when orders open but they expect launch pricing to be ~€60,000 / ~$60,000 / ~£55,000
Last time I drove a Polestar was my demo drive for the Polestar 2 back in 2021 and I was deeply impressed with their progress at the time. I wasn’t able to release anything back then on Polestar, but that mistake will be corrected as soon as possible. I’ll be trying out the Polestar 4 and Polestar 3 as soon as they are available stateside for demos. Please stay tuned for that.
Volkswagen ID.7
Volkswagen has just held a world premier of a lovely new electric flagship sedan, the Volkswagen ID.7.
Not much is known about details like the material feel or how the vehicle drives yet. However, both blue and white exterior options they unveiled were really elegant choices. The wheel design is a five-pronged star of dorsal fin-like polygons. At the back, the rear lights are stunning as their curvatures connect centrally to the VW badge. The body lines are fluid and gently flow down its length, yet retain an almost obsessive desire for minimal geometric complication.
They better have made the drive experience at least somewhat compelling compared to the ID.4. Not all EVs need carbon-wrapped drive rotors for multiple 0 to 100 mph pulls, but it’s always nice to have one that makes you giggle like a caffeinated child when you smoothly command it around a country-road curve on a Saturday afternoon. Given the more powerful drive unit in this new vehicle, we may yet have reason to hope. Let’s get into the details.
Volkswagen ID.7 Specs:
Range up to 700 km / 435 mi (WLTP) depending on battery selection; No EPA figures, but expect somewhere around 500 km / 310 mi.
Power output of 210 kW per motor, most powerful in the ID family
Announced drag coefficient of ~ 0.23, equal to Tesla Model 3
Length of 5 meters / 16.4 feet
Fast charging times of around 25 minutes from 10% to 80% with 200 kW peak charging power
Optional “High-End Wellness Seats” available with massage and ventilation added to standard heating.
38 cm / 15 in. Infotainment Screen
Available 700 W sound system from Harman Kardon; includes 14 speakers, with centre speaker at the front and subwoofer in the trunk.
Projected HUD for drive information ahead of driver.
It’s hard to argue against a practical sedan that drives well and can comfortably take it’s passengers any distance. Volkswagen knows their audience. A quick note on the interior. In a million years, I never would have guessed that the Passat of the electric age would have massage seats as an option. Even the Plaid Model S doesn't boast such a comfort feature from the factory.
Volkswagen stated that ID.7 will be produced in the Volkswagen plant in Emden, Germany for European and North American markets. The Chinese market will be serviced by local production. Volkswagen plans to begin delivery of ID.7 later this year for Europe and China. North America won’t see the car until 2024. In that case, see you next year then ID.7!
Cybertruck Tooling, Pilot Line Unveiled
Yesterday, Tesla had their earnings call for Q1 and they released with it a shareholder deck containing photos of the Cybertruck pilot line at the GigaTexas facility in Austin. CEO Elon Musk said during the call that they are continuing to build Alpha versions on it. Tesla also confirmed that the timeline for first production delivery has moved up from late Q4 to possibly end of Q3. Volume production would then still be expected to ramp in 2024. This innovative design’s exoskeleton is entirely comprised of the same stainless steel used in SpaceX’s Starship. It’s cool to see some of the innards while we wait for deliveries.
“We’re anticipating having a delivery event probably in Q3.” - CEO Elon Musk
When asked on the earnings call about finalized specs he added,
“Well I think will save that for the Cybertruck hand-over event which will hopefully be in the end of Q3. It's an incredible product. A product like this only come along once. People will not be disappointed, it's amazing"
While I’m very aware of the polarization of this product’s design, I personally dig the weirdness of it. With a pilot line now in place and an event being prepared, two questions now remain. Will Tesla be able to achieve its price targets for the Cybertruck? Also, will the Cybertruck actually sell like hotcakes when it is available for immediate delivery? Keep in mind they’ve needed to invent processes in order to manufacture it. I expect that the first deliveries will be for the top spec Quad-motor configurations or at least the Tri-motor. When I finally drive this downward-facing obtuse triangle, you’ll all be the first to know.
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With love and gratitude,
Renato
Renato A. Amboss is the author of Current Events, The All-Electric Newsletter. He is also the Founder and First Pilot of Ronin EV. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are his own. None of the views expressed are intended as investment advice of any kind and should not be taken as such. Have a lovely day!