Pure progressive performance | Polestar (2024)

FAQs

Is Polestar a Chinese car? ›

Owned by Volvo Cars, the company is headquartered in Torslanda outside Gothenburg, Sweden. Polestar produces cars in several countries including China, the US, and South Korea, in facilities owned by Volvo Cars and its parent company Geely Holding.

Polestar was once Volvo's racing skunkworks, but it's morphed into a standalone electric offshoot, jointly owned by Volvo and its Chinese mothership, Geely. Its cars are built in China, to be sold worldwide. So it's Chinese ambition meets Swedish premium knowhow.

Under the U.S. EPA driving cycle, the Polestar 1 has an all-electric range of 52 mi (84 km) and an equivalent fuel consumption of 58 mpg‑e (58 kW⋅h/100 mi). On gasoline alone, the Polestar 1 is rated at 26 mpg_‑US (9.0 L/100 km; 31 mpg_‑imp) for combined city/highway driving, giving an estimated range of 417 mi (671 km).

As the Polestar 1 reaches the end of its production run after the 2021 model year, there will be a Special Edition sold in limited numbers (25 worldwide) and painted in matte gold. The gold theme also extends to the coupe's brake calipers and interior stitching.

The 2024 Polestar 2 has a $49,900 base MSRP, one of the lowest starting prices among luxury EVs. The Long Range Single Motor base model comes equipped with a 299-horsepower motor, 320 miles of range, 19-inch wheels, textile upholstery, heated front seats, and an 11-inch touch screen, among other features.

The Polestar 2 is a generally reliable car. The model ranked ninth out of 20 cars in the electric car class of our 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, with a reliability rating of 92.0%. That put it above the Kia EV6 and Porsche Taycan, but below the Cupra Born and Tesla Model 3.

Winner: 2023 Tesla Model 3

While that is by no means a great score, the Polestar 2's reliability rating is abysmal by comparison, at just 64 out of 100. A J.D. Power predicted reliability score of 91-100 is considered the Best, 81-90 is Great, 70-80 is Average and 0-69 is Fair.

Issues delayed the release of new cars last year and just 16pc of its vehicles were electric last year. Volvo remains a way off its 50pc target for 2025 and meeting that goal will require more investment, meaning the company is no longer willing to fund Polestar.

Among the Polestar 2 vs. Volvo XC40 Recharge differences, the Polestar 2 is a less-spacious SUV that has less cargo room and less standard power than the Volvo XC40 Recharge. The 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge carries a starting price of $53,550 MSRP,¹ and the 2023 Polestar 2 has a starting price of $48,400 MSRP.

Yes, choosing the Polestar Engineered Optimization upgrade is worth it, as it transforms the driving dynamics of your Volvo vehicle.

Should you charge Polestar to 100%? ›

High charge level

Avoid charging the vehicle to 100% unless the entire range is needed for the trip. The battery can be damaged by maintaining a very high charge level for a long period of time.

The Polestar 2, developed by Volvo's performance and electric vehicle-focused division, Polestar, demonstrates impressive longevity even for an EV. It is expected to last between 300,000 and 400,000 miles before the cost of repairs becomes too high.

Will Polestar survive long-term? The current numbers aren't very promising, but if the company can change strategies to meet demand where it's at, rather than trying to be an upmarket brand it certainly is not, it may have a resurgence.

Geely's electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar faces intense pressure amid weakening demand, with its stock hitting an all-time low. On Monday, shares dropped to $1.13, as the company struggles to remain above the $1 threshold required to comply with Nasdaq listing requirements.

Geely—the two automakers' Chinese parent company—will now fully support Polestar, which has two new EVs on the way. Volvo has announced that it will no longer fund Polestar, although the two brands will continue to collaborate on manufacturing and R&D.

The Polestar 3 has officially begun production in Chengdu, China, before its first deliveries. The third bespoke model, which is also Polestar's first electric SUV, has a lot riding on its success in multiple markets. It will also be built in the US, and Polestar provided an update on that progress.

Who owns Volvo Cars? Volvo Car Group is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding of China. The head office, product development operations, marketing, and administrative efforts are still mainly located in Gothenburg, the birthplace of Volvo Cars.

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN – 27 February 2024. Production of Polestar 3 has started in Chengdu, China. Additional production is slated to start in South Carolina, USA, in the middle of 2024.

Buick, Lincoln, Polestar, and Volvo all sell cars in the US that are made in China.