Polestar to invest in Midlands as it expands range

Car design engineer Cathy Holmes moved to the region for work and stayed for the opportunities

An electric car manufacturer has said it plans further investment in the West Midlands as it expands its range.

Polestar opened a research and development centre at MIRA Technology Park in Nuneaton in 2019.

The firm said it has already increased from 50 to 500 employees, with further growth planned.

"We see further expansion in the future as our model range grows," said Pete Allen, head of research and development.

Figures show sales of all electric cars continue to increase, although this year's rise is due mostly to fleet sales.

However, with petrol and diesel vehicles set to be banned by 2035, Polestar plans to expand "from the one car or the three car company we are today to a five, six, seven model company in the future," Mr Allen said.

The new Polestar 5 was recently shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed ahead of its launch next year

The firm, owned by Volvo and Geeley, sells in 27 markets around the world.

Its latest model, the Polestar 5, is due out next year and was partly designed at MIRA.

Mr Allen said the Midlands was an ideal base to attract the workforce needed.

"We need talent from motor sport, from F1, from high-performance sports cars and we need talent from the premium automotive sector and here in the Midlands we find all of that," he said.

Design engineer Cathy Holmes, who worked on the car's battery power supply, said she stayed in the area after moving for work.

"It's brilliant there's so many companies around, there's so much talent around and I think Polestar's got a lot of it," she added.

Having a base in the Midlands attracts the right talent, Polestar bosses said

Steve Swift, head of vehicle engineering, added MIRA had all the facilities needed to drive out and test cars on its doorstep.

"We've got the high speed tracks, we've go the crash labs, we've got all those test facilities," he said.

The firm said it would shortly open new offices and a workshop at Ansty Business Park.