Swedish electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar is gearing up for the launch of its first crossover in the truck-dominated US market with a $20 million marketing campaign set to kick off in the second quarter.
Polestar is owned by Volvo, with the latter owned by Chinese conglomerate, Geely.
According to Automotive News, this investment will surpass Polestar’s marketing spend for the first quarter of 2022, which included a high-profile Super Bowl commercial.
Gregor Hembrough, Polestar’s North American boss, revealed that the company plans to spend more on marketing the Polestar 3 crossover, which is comparable in size to the Porsche Cayenne, in the second quarter than it did in the past nine months combined.
The Polestar 3, scheduled to arrive in the US in late 2023, nearly a year behind its original timeline, is a crucial offering in the company’s bid to capture the core of the US luxury market.
North America, including the US and Canada, is expected to account for approximately 25% of Polestar 3’s global sales. To build a solid order book before the crossover’s launch, Hembrough has advanced a “multi-pronged” marketing campaign by two months.
This campaign, starting on April 4, will involve online, television, and outdoor advertising to raise brand awareness and promote the new model. In addition, a 12-city product roadshow will commence in New York City, allowing Polestar 3 reservation holders and early adopters to get an up-close look at the vehicle.
Sharing a platform with Volvo Cars’ next-generation EX90 full-size crossover, the Polestar 3 faced software issues that complicated the development process for both models, as reported by Automotive News last year.
The Polestar 3 will enter mass production at Volvo’s Chengdu, China, assembly plant in mid-2023, followed by a launch at Volvo’s Ridgeville, South Carolina factory a year later.
Hembrough expressed confidence in the Polestar 3 meeting its US launch targets, stating that the current production plan is stable and secure. Dealer display vehicles are expected to arrive in stores during the summer, with the US market prioritized in the production line.
