Polestar expands European production with new Polestar 7 in Slovakia Polestar is advancing its production strategy with a new European manufacturing footprint, shared platforms with Volvo Cars, and the forthcoming Polestar 7 SUV set to launch from new Slovakia plant in 2028. AMS Editorial Nick Holt
Polestar plans European production of imminent Polestar 7, moving away from China in nearshoring drive, solving for supply chain complexities Polestar aims to hit profitability by 2025 with Polestar 7 to be built in Europe, exiting China in regionalisation move enhancing supply chain resilience. The carmaker’s strategy includes streamlined product lines eyeing growth targets for premium EV market. Ilkhan Ozsevim
Chinese vehicle makers look to international markets for growth, but domestic government pressure and trade barriers may slow expansion. The number of domestic vehicle manufacturers in China has increased rapidly in recent years. Some are spin-offs from previous joint ventures with foreign companies, others entirely new. A few, notably BYD, Geely and Chery, have become significant global players, as well as gradually overhauling the foreign players in their domestic market. Ian Henry
Polestar starts US production of the Polestar 3 Polestar has started production of its Polestar 3 SUV at the Volvo plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina. Nick Holt
Korea: the switch to EV production accelerates Korean vehicle makers invest in flexible production and add more EVs. Foreign OEMs continue to invest in production for export. Ian Henry
The changing shape of Europe’s automotive production operations European vehicle manufacturing is having to adapt to weakening EV demand and increasing competition. This means revising production volumes and rethinking the ICE-EV balance in the short term. Ian Henry
A natural fit: how and why the automotive production industry is turning to bio-materials for sustainable solutions in pursuit of zero emissions and enhanced performance Bio-based materials like flax, hemp, kenaf, and jute are reshaping automotive production for sustainability. These natural fibres offer durable, lightweight alternatives for several vehicle components, from dashboards to electric vehicle batteries. Martin Kahl
Polestar set to expand manufacturing operations for the fully-electric Polestar 4 in South Korea, bolstering regional production With production set to commence in the second half of 2025, the Polestar 4 will aim to make its mark in the North American and domestic South Korean markets. Ilkhan Ozsevim
China: European, US and Japanese Vehicle Manufacturers rebalance production and supply chains AMS looks at the changing role of the Chinese operations of European and other long established brands’ operations in China and their changing roles in the global auto sector Ian Henry
After tailpipes, auto industry ponders CO2 purge from its materials Three automotive industry executives from Polestar, Volvo Cars and SSAB discuss approaches to removing carbon from carmaking with neither a ready recipe nor time for trial and error. Peter Murphy
Watch: A holistic approach to sustainable vehicle production Hans Pehrson, Owain Griffiths and Thomas Hörnfeldt emphasise the importance of moving towards a greener model to meet sustaibility targets - whether it’s whole-of-vehicle manufacturing or greening the global supply chain. Christopher Ludwig
Watch: Partnering for power – working together to accelerate EV manufacturing Polestar’s Dennis Nobelius and Atlas Copco’s Lars Eklof discuss the ramp up in electric vehicle and battery production and call for collaboration across the industry. Christopher Ludwig
Day 1 Wrap Up: Learning to dredge the data lakes Industry experts emphasised the need for flexibility and the importance of digital tools in progressing the transformation of automotive manufacturing to electric vehicles. Speakers described challenges of scaling up battery production and supply chain management as well as reducing complexity in production. Peter Murphy
