CEO Ham Jong-sung "Equipped with Safety-Verified Chinese CATL Battery"
Considering Domestic Battery for Korea-Produced Polestar 4
"In Discussions with LG Energy Solution and SK On"
"It is not true that Chinese-made batteries have a high frequency of fire incidents. The CATL battery installed in the Polestar 4 is a product whose safety has been verified through global sales."
Ham Jong-seong, CEO of Polestar Korea, said this on the 13th at the domestic launch event of the coupe-type electric mid-size sports utility vehicle (SUV) 'Polestar 4' held at Space Seoul in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. On this day, Polestar Korea unveiled the second new car it is introducing to the domestic market, the Polestar 4.
The Polestar 4 is equipped with a 100 kWh ternary lithium-ion battery. The battery manufacturer is China's CATL. CEO Ham said, "The previously launched Polestar 2 also used CATL batteries, and more than 160,000 units have been sold worldwide without a single fire incident," dismissing safety concerns about Chinese manufacturer batteries.
Polestar unveiled the coupe-style electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) Polestar 4 for the first time in Korea on the 13th at Space Seoul located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Ham Jong-seong, CEO of Polestar Korea, is taking a commemorative photo with the new car. [Photo by Polestar Korea]
The Polestar 4 is equipped with a motor that delivers a maximum output of 544 horsepower (400 kW) and a maximum torque of 686 Nm based on the Long Range dual motor. It takes 3.8 seconds to accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h. According to European certification standards, it can travel 590 km on a single charge. The Long Range single motor uses a rear-wheel-drive system, producing 272 horsepower (200 kW) and 343 Nm of torque, with a maximum driving range of 620 km per charge based on European certification standards. Polestar Korea is currently working on domestic certification for the Polestar 4.
Polestar applied an innovative design to the Polestar 4 by eliminating the rear window. The intention is to preserve the coupe-style design while securing space for second-row passengers. To ensure rear visibility, a rearview mirror is installed, and a rear camera provides real-time high-definition rear information.
The starting price for the Polestar 4 in Korea is 66.9 million KRW. The actual purchase price is expected to be further reduced with government subsidies. Vehicle orders will begin at 1 PM on the same day, and full-scale deliveries will start in October. Polestar Korea set the domestic price of the Polestar 4 as the lowest among the 26 countries where it is sold worldwide. This aggressive marketing decision was made considering the difficult Korean market situation, which is experiencing electric vehicle fire incidents and a chasm.
CEO Ham said, "The domestic launch price of the Polestar 4 is more than 30 million KRW lower than in major countries," adding, "It is a decision made to meet consumers at the most reasonable price."
The Polestar 4 delivered domestically this year is produced in China, but from the end of next year, domestically produced Polestar 4 vehicles will be available for purchase. Polestar will outsource production of the Polestar 4 to Renault Korea's Busan plant starting at the end of 2025. It is highly likely that domestically produced Polestar 4 vehicles will be equipped with domestic batteries.
CEO Ham said, "The battery to be installed in the domestically produced Polestar 4 has not been finalized, but we are basically promoting the expansion of the proportion of domestic batteries," adding, "We are currently in discussions with domestic battery manufacturers such as LG Energy Solution and SK On."
Polestar unveiled the coupe-style electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) Polestar 4 for the first time in Korea on the 13th at Space Seoul located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Photo by Polestar Korea]
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