20 Things You Didn’t Know about Polestar

There are so many car companies working on electric vehicles that it can be hard to figure out who to trust. From semi-truck startups with millions in funding and no product to old standbys we’ve seen on the road for years like the Prius, electric cars are the future. Polestar isn’t the most well-known, but its innovative products and famous parent company may surprise you. Here are twenty things you didn’t know about Polestar.

20. Rooted in Safety

Polestar wasn’t always Polestar. Way back in 1996, this company was established in Sweden under the Volvo company. Polestar is run as an independent company these days, but its progenitor is famous for something every driver should care about, safety. The company has a long history of caring for driver and passenger wellbeing. In fact, it was Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin who invented the three-point seat belt. It’s good to know that the future of electric vehicles is related to a long line of cars that pride themselves on NHTSA’s five-star safety ratings.

19. Polestar Has Two Parents

Although it began as Volvo, Polestar is owned by Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. If Polestar gets its history and safety from Volvo, but it is getting its future from ZGHG. Geely is working hard to position Polestar as the number one rival to Tesla. That’s a big dream, but also achievable.

18. Made In China

China has a long and storied history as one of the world’s most industrial, productive countries. There’s hardly any industry where you don’t see items or parts with the Made in China label on them. Polestar is no exception. These vehicles are made in China but intended for the whole world. Model variations such as right and left-handed driving setups all come from the same factories.

17. Independent Evolution

Oddly, when it first started, Polestar was meant to be the racing branch of Volvo. In an odd way, the company is still fulfilling that destiny by ‘racing’ Tesla into the future. Although it descended from industry titans Volvo and Geely, Polestar has had its independence since 2017. As the brand grows and evolves, it is quickly becoming a formidable opponent.

16. Not Always Smooth

The path to greatness is never perfectly straight and smooth. Polestar has had its share of troubles and tribulations. According to Car and Driver, Polestar had to recall the Polestar 2 models for an electrical system overhaul. On the one hand, the problem was significant because it could cause the car to stop running. However, a software update fixed it, and drivers could take their P2’s into a nearby service center. Happily, Polestar reported not a single accident or injury because of this flaw.

15. Made In America (Coming Soon)

American buyers can be wary of Chinese-made products. Once China was our most significant trading partner, political changes to our relationship caused a rift between our nations. As a result, imports are now more expensive, but Polestar has a solution. According to Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar’s Chief Executive Officer, Americans responded overwhelmingly favorably when sharing his company vision. As a result of that enthusiasm, the Polestar Website has exciting news about the Polestar 3. “Polestar is a company based on an idea, not a place. Wherever the best facilities and knowledge are to enable us to usher in a more sustainable electric future, that’s where we’ll be. Which is why Polestar 3 will be manufactured in the US.”

14. Zhejiang Geely Holding Group

Geely Holding Group owns a lot more than Polestar. ZGHG owns Volvo and at least fifteen other vehicle manufacture companies. Some of these brands are more familiar in Europe and other parts of the world, but given the plans to build an American factory for Polestar, we might be seeing more like this in the future.

13. Publicly Traded

Polestar just announced that it would become a publicly traded company. Polestar expects to have an enterprise value of $20 billion by merging with a special purpose acquisition company or SPAC. They are joining a company backed by Alec Gores and investment bank Guggenheim Partners, which will ultimately net the company hundreds of millions in cash to expand operations. Although it has no ticker symbol yet, you will likely be able to invest soon.

12. Famous Financiers

Hollywood has its fingers in every type of pie there is. Actors have purchased restaurants, liquor companies, and so much more. For many, as they age or tire of performing, a transition into the private business sector involves becoming a producer for movies. Essentially an actor can put their own money into making more films, but that’s hardly the only industry a well-known actor can invest in. For Leonard DiCaprio, Polestar is the latest investment. Instead of putting his name on films, perfumes, or alcohol, the beloved actor is helping drive the future of the automotive industry.

11. Sense of Humor and Awards

Polestar is already a multi-award-winning company. However, it has managed to remain humble and humorous about its achievements. Polestar 2 has over forty awards, including Fast Company’s remarkable Innovation by Design Award and Product Innovation of the Year. Yet for all those impressive accolades, the company jokes that there are so many awards available, they don’t want all of them, such as “The Foot in Mouth Award, The Golden Bagel Award, and IG Nobel Prize, just to mention a few.” Whoever writes the website certainly understands how to present Polestar’s numerous achievements in an endearing and memorable format.

10. Spaces Buying Experience

Polestar’s car design is award-winning, but that’s not the only place it’s innovating. The company doesn’t have traditional showrooms. Instead, they have opted for art gallery-esque “Spaces” that demonstrate the beauty of the vehicles while also offering a calming, visually stunning atmosphere. Buying online is fine, but some drivers want to get the whole automotive experience. Polestar has elevated the practice.

9. More About Buying

When you walk into a Polestar Space, the visual dynamics are everything. However, it is still a care sales location, and that means dealing with salespeople… right? Wrong. There are no high-pressure sales. In fact, there are no salespeople at all. No one earns a commission, and you don’t need to negotiate features. A Polestar vehicle is the same no matter where you get it or who helps you with the paperwork. Overall, the experience is more like visiting a museum and then picking up a souvenir from the gift shop, but your souvenir helps save the environment and gets you wherever you need to go.

8. Seeking New Talent

If Polestar sounds like the sort of place you want to support, you can share your talent. This innovative company is always hiring new, talented people to help expand and run its operations. From workers for the new US factory to managers in the Spaces and more, you can have a career and a car with Polestar.

7. More Than Cars Mobility For All

Polestar isn’t only making cars. The company is committed to ensuring mobility for people, which extends beyond highway vehicles. Makka makes excellent scooters. By partnering with Polestar, they have created the Makka – Polestar edition by CAKE. An electric ride-on vehicle will allow more people to travel within crowded cities where it is often difficult to navigate or find parking. Steffan Ytterborn of Cake states, “Instead of wasting time in a traffic jam, finding a parking spot or squashing up in a crowded train, together with the team at Polestar we want to make the future of mobility flexible, accessible and emission-free – while aiming to create cities for people, not for cars that pollute,” The incredible concept-bikes are the first step toward reaching that goal.

6. Test Drive in the UK

Some drivers are okay with buying online and not seeing or touching their new car until it gets delivered. There’s nothing wrong with this method. However, for those who need to feel their vehicle on the road, there’s good news. If you live or travel in the UK, you can make an appointment to test drive a Polestar before you buy. Getting a feel for these great, well-designed cars in person is a whole different level of understanding.

5. Customer Education

Speaking of UK experiences, Polestar is committed to its audience. Since the UK is among the most driven (no pun intended)countries when committing to zero emissions, it only makes sense that a company like Polestar is famous there. To help educate its fanbase, Polestar offers a lot more than mere test drives. You can get a whole education on the company’s history, goals, and the exceptional vehicles it produces if you live in that area. Polestar knows that an educated consumer is the best kind, so it is working hard to partner with future drivers to ensure they understand all the benefits of owning a Polestar 2.

4. Follow On Social Media

Some companies are locked in the past. Fossil fuels, snail-mail, and outdated, undesirable dealerships are still the norm for many. Fortunately, Polestar and other forward-thinking businesses are helping drag us out of the oil-driven dark ages. If you want to keep abreast of the latest developments in Polestar and learn more about how they plan to take on Tesla, you can find them everywhere. Social media isn’t a fad. It’s the present and the future of marketing and connecting with customers. You can follow Polestar on Twitter, Instagram, and other popular platforms.

3. Human Rights Matter

There is a well-known dark side to significant manufacturing. Slave labor isn’t just a thing of the past. Sadly the world is still full of sweatshop labor and unscrupulous practices. However, many companies are speaking out against these deplorable practices. Like many corporations and businesses, you can read Polestars’ Modern Slavery Statement to see what this company is doing to ensure that no one who makes their vehicles are taken advantage of unfairly.

2. Sustainability

Making an electric vehicle is one thing, but there’s a difference between reducing oil consumption and actually being a sustainable business. Polestar has put a lot of effort into offsetting its carbon footprint and creating sustainable practices. Every company needs to look at reducing the impact of climate change, but some are dragging their heels and relying on outdated, dangerous, and damaging production facilities. Polestar is looking to the future and doing all it can to help us have a sustainable life on and off the road.

1. Building A Better Future

Fredrika Klarén, head of sustainable practices at Polestar, knows that there’s no single ‘magical’ way to create a sustainable future. Building electric vehicles is a start and doing so sustainably helps. However, there is more to making a better world for our future generations than any single change can encompass. Polestar is finding new ways every day to help lay the foundations for a genuinely sustainable future beyond making automobiles that don’t pollute the sky. Any company can make a small change and call it progress, but Polestar is actively working to build a better future for everyone through collaborations like the Makka and more.

Final Thoughts

There is so much to admire about Polestar. Any company willing to openly take on Tesla has a lot of grit. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top of the EV race. Moreover, the product innovations and incredible design of Polestar vehicles are noteworthy on their own. Whether you’re looking to invest, drive, or even build a career with this superb company, it’s easy to see why Polestar is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds. We expect to see a lot more Polestars on the road in the near future. The future of electric cars (and SUVs) looks very bright indeed.