Swedish electric performance-car brand that grew out of Volvo's motorsport partner and was relaunched as a standalone EV maker in 2017. It is controlled by Geely and Volvo Cars, listed on Nasdaq, and builds its cars in China and the United States.
The Polestar 3 is a mid-size all-electric SUV built on the Geely-Volvo SEA platform. US buyers choose between a 299 hp single motor and a 489 hp dual motor, both with a 111 kWh battery and up to 563 km of EPA-equivalent range. Pricing starts at $67,500.
The Polestar 4 is an electric SUV coupe with no rear window, replaced by a rear-facing camera instead. US buyers choose between a 272 hp single motor and a 544 hp dual motor, both on a 100 kWh battery, from $56,400.
After the Connected Vehicles Rule blocked future US sales, Polestar is discounting its remaining 2026 inventory - up to $25,000 off the Polestar 4 and $23,000 off the Polestar 3 for cash buyers, with 0% APR financing and leases from $399 a month.
The Commerce Department has denied Polestar authorization to sell its 2027 and later model-year cars in the United States, citing the Connected Vehicle Rule and Geely's controlling stake. The ban even covers the Polestar 3, which is built in South Carolina. Existing dealer stock can still be sold.
The Polestar 4's signature feature is a solid tailgate with no rear window, fed by a camera and a digital mirror. Dutch outlet AutoWeek found the camera and parking sensors react too slowly to stop owners from creasing the metal, and published photos of several cars with dented tailgates.
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Polestar began in 1996 as a Swedish racing outfit and later became Volvo’s official performance partner, tuning and badging hotter versions of Volvo road cars. In 2017 the name was relaunched as a separate brand for electric performance cars, jointly owned by Volvo Cars and their shared parent, China’s Geely.
The line-up runs from the Polestar 2 fastback through the Polestar 3 and 4 SUVs, with the Polestar 5 and 6 to follow. Design and engineering are led from Gothenburg in Sweden, while production is split between China and, for the Polestar 3, a plant in South Carolina. The company has traded on the Nasdaq exchange since 2022.
Polestar’s ownership structure has become a commercial problem in the United States. Under the Connected Vehicle Rule, which bars cars with Chinese-linked connectivity hardware, Geely’s controlling stake led the Commerce Department to deny authorization for Polestar’s 2027 and later models - even the US-built Polestar 3 - pushing the brand to concentrate on Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
