Rahul Somvanshi
Polestar has announced significant technological improvements for its electric SUV, the Polestar 3, including a new processor and digital key features. The Swedish automaker is upgrading all vehicles with NVIDIA’s more powerful DRIVE AGX Orin processor, offering this enhancement at no cost to existing owners.
Since launching in the summer 2024, the Polestar 3 has received nine over-the-air updates, with the latest enabling Apple Wallet integration. This new feature lets owners use their iPhone or Apple Watch to lock, unlock, and start their vehicle. The digital key can be shared with up to five other users through common messaging apps, making it easier for families to share their car.
Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller explained the company’s approach: “The ability to upgrade the hardware of our cars when new technologies become available is the perfect demonstration of our commitment to deliver the very best ownership experience to our customers.”
The processor upgrade will increase the computing capabilities of the vehicle’s central system. The NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin processor upgrade demonstrates Polestar’s commitment to keeping its vehicles updated with the latest technology. The source notes it’s unusual for an automaker to update hardware post-sale rather than just software.
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The company has also introduced practical features like walk-away locking, which automatically secures the vehicle when the owner leaves with their key. Additional entertainment options are coming through Google’s Car Ready Mobile Apps program, bringing optimized versions of popular applications like F1 TV to the vehicle’s display system.
For the 2026 model year, the Polestar 3 will be priced around $70,800. The vehicle continues to be manufactured in Charleston, South Carolina, featuring a 111-kWh battery pack that provides up to 350 miles of range in its base single-motor rear-wheel-drive configuration.
Current Polestar 3 owners will be notified when the processor upgrade becomes available at authorized service centers. This update aligns with similar changes announced by parent company Volvo for its EX90 electric SUV, which shares the same underlying platform with the Polestar 3.
The continuous updates and hardware improvements show how modern electric vehicles can become better over time through both software and hardware updates. This approach means owners can enjoy new features and improvements without always needing to buy a new car, potentially helping their vehicles stay current with technology advances for longer.
