Polestar Details How They'll Be Selling Their Vehicles in the U.S.

Polestar has revealed new details as to how it plans on selling their vehicles in the U.S. As we have previously reported, Polestar will be using an online system for customers to do research, configure, and order their vehicle. They'll also have the choice of either purchasing a vehicle outright or doing a subscription model where insurance and maintenance is covered in the payment.

But as Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar admits in a statement, "many people want to physically see a car before ordering." That's where Polestar Spaces come into play. These will be franchised by dealers and allow customers to check out the cars and learn more from product information specialists - not working on commission. The spaces will also handle servicing of the vehicles, although customers won't need to drop their vehicles off. Using a smartphone app, customers will be able to schedule a pickup for servicing. Once completed, Polestar will drop the vehicle back off.

According to Car and Driver, Polestar will open their first space in New York City in late 2019 or early 2020. Nine more spaces will follow: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas or Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

Source: Car and Driver, Polestar

Polestar – the new electric performance brand and a new approach to car ownership for US customers
As a new entrant into the electrified automotive industry, Polestar has confirmed its positioning and innovative go-to-market strategy in the important North American car market. As a start-up electric car brand owned by Volvo Car Group, Polestar will offer electric performance cars with a modern, fully digital customer experience.

“Launching an entirely new car brand gives us the opportunity to assess what customers enjoy about car ownership, and what they are less keen on,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer at Polestar. “As an electric performance brand, we want to maximize our customer’s enjoyment of driving. Polestars will be great looking cars with avant-garde design that are full of modern technology and great to drive.

“We also want to remove the hassle from traditional car ownership. The customer will be able to research, configure and order their car online. They can choose our innovative subscription model that enables them to have all their motoring costs covered by one single monthly payment.

“We also know that many people want to physically see a car before ordering, so our customers will be able to meet the brand in a franchised Polestar Space. In a town center location, they’ll interact with non-commissioned product experts who are totally focused on enhancing their brand experience and giving them the information they want and need. They will also have pick-up and delivery servicing, meaning that their days of standing in line at service reception are over.”

“Polestar is a global brand from day one, operating in the world’s most important car markets – Europe, China and North America. We will therefore be opening Polestar Spaces in major US cities as demand requires them. We are also developing a new Polestar North America organization to meet the demands of this important market,” concludes Thomas Ingenlath.

Polestar’s momentum has been building following its launch as the new electric performance brand. The company’s first car, Polestar 1, was revealed in October 2017 as a 600 hp Electric Performance Hybrid, but with the longest pure electric range of any hybrid in the world. The Polestar 1 will start production in mid-2019 at the new Polestar Production Centre, which is nearing completion. The first full year of production has already sold out, with 200 cars currently destined for North American customers.

The brand’s second car, Polestar 2, will be the company’s first full battery electric vehicle and is designed to compete with Tesla Model 3. The Polestar 2 will be revealed early in 2019, with production starting a year later.