Volvo has announced that Polestar, its performance car arm, is to become a new separately-branded electrified global high performance car company.

Polestar will offer Polestar branded cars that will no longer carry a Volvo logo, as well as optimisation packages for Volvo’s range of cars under the Polestar Engineered brand.

In order to drive the development of the brand, Thomas Ingenlath, senior vice president design at Volvo, will take the role as chief executive officer at Polestar.

“Thomas heading up the Polestar organisation shows our commitment to establishing a truly differentiated stand-alone brand within the Volvo Car Group,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars.

Ingenlath will be joined at Polestar by Jonathan Goodman (pictured), who will become chief operating officer.

Samuelsson said: “Polestar will be a credible competitor in the emerging global market for high performance electrified cars. With Polestar, we are able to offer electrified cars to the world’s most demanding, progressive drivers in all market segments.”

Volvo Cars acquired 100% of Polestar Performance in July 2015, having worked together in motorsport since 1996.