Polestar Exiting US Market

[Torrid]

not that I am against ev or the brand itself but I never seen one on the road just at a Volvo dealership. there must not be a big market here in south Carolina for them.

The problem is that the Volvo dealers don't sell them unless they're also a Polestar dealer. Polestar has really shot themselves in the foot limiting their dealer network. I like their cars, but I'd have to go to Minnesota for anything relating to sales and service. That's just not practical.

It's bad enough Tesla can't sell in Wisconsin, but at least the nearest service center is about 30 minutes away which is how it's always been unless I buy a Ford, Dodge, or Chevrolet.

 

[FZ1]

Check how low to the ground those things are. A definite issue (or pending issue) for many on here. That's why Toyota sells so many RAV4 at or near MSRP.

Don't ask me how I know. Keeping my '17 Camry,for now.

This is what I feel like in a sedan. No thanks.

The cars drive so much faster down there!

 

[Mainia]

That’s unfortunate. Polestar made some attractive vehicles, and we are considering an EV for the next car.

I guess we’ll have to go with the Taycan, instead…

As @JeffKeryk says, what’s a poor boy to do?

Oh,Taycan, nice car. But I figured since you are use to high G force and know how to fly in high performance style, you would be buying this car.

ELECTRIC800V 69kWh battery1480 kW output (≈ 1984 hp)proprietary torque vectoring system4 motors, 4 inverters, 4 gearboxes, full CARBON FIBER monocoque chassis and bodywork (273mph)

 

[fdcg27]

I think I've seen maybe two Polestar EVs on the road, one rented to some poor out of town woman who was looking for a place to charge it.
Fewer manufacturers allowed to sell in the market is not a positive thing for buyers.
Competition improves the offerings, although anti-dumping rules would have to be strictly enforced in the case of Chinese offerings, or maybe a VRA a la the Reagan era with Japan.
Incidentally, could this be GON's retirement ride? Needs a little work, but he's never minded buying a high end salvage auction vehicle.

 

[SShooterZ]

The same will happen to Lucid, and already happened to Fisker, and VERY LIKELY will happen to Rivian as well.

Why do you think that about Rivian? I don't know much about them, other than the people I know that have them, seem to love them.

 

[PandaBear]

Why do you think that about Rivian? I don't know much about them, other than the people I know that have them, seem to love them.

Good design but they may not have the economy of scale on their own. In the long term if they don't merge with a big guy they can be in a very dangerous situation financially.

 

[The_Jeff]

Wonder if Polestar saw this coming and if they have firmware that could be compliant, or if they're feverishly working on it. Or if the enforcement is arbitrary and they know they can't win.

I don't see a need for ANY automaker to phone home via cell service, including Tesla and the Toyota that I presently own. Get the software right the first time, and if it MUST be updated to meet an EPA requirement etc recall my car and bring it in to the dealer for the service.

They made, what, cute utes? Plenty of those: gas, electric, and hybrid, and not my thing, so I have trouble caring, I guess.

 

[PandaBear]

Wonder if Polestar saw this coming and if they have firmware that could be compliant, or if they're feverishly working on it. Or if the enforcement is arbitrary and they know they can't win.

I don't see a need for ANY automaker to phone home via cell service, including Tesla and the Toyota that I presently own. Get the software right the first time, and if it MUST be updated to meet an EPA requirement etc recall my car and bring it in to the dealer for the service.

They made, what, cute utes? Plenty of those: gas, electric, and hybrid, and not my thing, so I have trouble caring, I guess.

Firmware guy here.

I have never seen in my life that other teams do not use firmware as the last line of defense to patch a hardware problem. It is much easier to just send a firmware to fix everyone than calling everyone to drop off the car in a dealership to fix something embarrassing that cost $200 labor.

The craziest I have seen is someone had a mistake in hardware that does A+B = C as A - B, and just patch it with an additional + 2B instead of replacing the hardware.

 

[JavierH19]

Buh bye

 

[The_Jeff]

Firmware guy here.

I have never seen in my life that other teams do not use firmware as the last line of defense to patch a hardware problem. It is much easier to just send a firmware to fix everyone than calling everyone to drop off the car in a dealership to fix something embarrassing that cost $200 labor.

The craziest I have seen is someone had a mistake in hardware that does A+B = C as A - B, and just patch it with an additional + 2B instead of replacing the hardware.

Yeah, so get it right before you sell it to me with zero miles. I don't want cutting edge tech that expects to be patched.

 

[PandaBear]

Yeah, so get it right before you sell it to me with zero miles. I don't want cutting edge tech that expects to be patched.

You want to wait 3 years?

 

[Hermann]

In before the lock. I don't know how this thread will end but even without the Chinese made factor, their cars aren't that popular and competitive against other brands in the US. Most people think of Polestar not as a Volvo but a Chinese brand, even though the cars itself have a very different design language than the Chinese styled cars they design for their market there.

The same will happen to Lucid, and already happened to Fisker, and VERY LIKELY will happen to Rivian as well.

Plus it's a simply horrible name.

 

[Astro14]

You want to wait 3 years?

I love the people in tech, who release a product to the public three years before it’s actually able to work correctly.

And somehow, the consumer has decided that this is acceptable?

“ Hey, this is Airbus here, we have a new airplane, you can buy it right now and start flying passengers, but you should expect it to crash several dozen times before we work out all the bugs, cool?”

 

[JeffKeryk]

Regardless, competition makes for better products and we the customers are the winners.

 

[PandaBear]

I think I've seen maybe two Polestar EVs on the road, one rented to some poor out of town woman who was looking for a place to charge it.
Fewer manufacturers allowed to sell in the market is not a positive thing for buyers.
Competition improves the offerings, although anti-dumping rules would have to be strictly enforced in the case of Chinese offerings, or maybe a VRA a la the Reagan era with Japan.
Incidentally, could this be GON's retirement ride? Needs a little work, but he's never minded buying a high end salvage auction vehicle.

View attachment 344762

You can probably straighten everything up and weld metal pieces you cut up from scrap metal. No need to bend a curve or remove dent.

 

[PandaBear]

I love the people in tech, who release a product to the public three years before it’s actually able to work correctly.

In 2026, everyone. Nobody will know if their products are working correctly until 3 years later.

Or you can do what Toyota do, wait a few years after your competitors get recalled and then copy their ideas afterward. They will lose some customers but they hold on to those who like things boring and reliable.

 

[Astro14]

In 2026, everyone.

Sure, that works well with things like pacemakers, parachutes, and planes, too.

Some of us work in fields were that kind of error rate is simply unacceptable and leads to people losing their lives.

Tech folks obviously don’t see it that way.

But since technology is controlling things like braking, and safety, systems on cars, perhaps they should.

I mean, if doctors operated at the same error rate as Tech people, you wouldn’t let them anywhere near you with a scalpel, would you?

 

[JeffKeryk]

I love the people in tech, who release a product to the public three years before it’s actually able to work correctly.

And somehow, the consumer has decided that this is acceptable?

“ Hey, this is Airbus here, we have a new airplane, you can buy it right now and start flying passengers, but you should expect it to crash several dozen times before we work out all the bugs, cool?”

Interesting... As the author of perhaps thousands of software solution modifications, I can tell you, the end user is the only real test. Your product is not tested until it hits the masses and all their attempts to destroy it, unintentional and otherwise.

Not saying it's right, but the price of progress is high.

Just my experience.

 

[FZ1]

I think I've seen maybe two Polestar EVs on the road, one rented to some poor out of town woman who was looking for a place to charge it.
Fewer manufacturers allowed to sell in the market is not a positive thing for buyers.
Competition improves the offerings, although anti-dumping rules would have to be strictly enforced in the case of Chinese offerings, or maybe a VRA a la the Reagan era with Japan.
Incidentally, could this be GON's retirement ride? Needs a little work, but he's never minded buying a high end salvage auction vehicle.

View attachment 344762

Looks like it gotta flat.

 

[CKN]

The government deciding which auto makers are available in our market is scary on many levels. A favorite topic (that takes palce in many forms on this forum) is affordability-yet a company that could solve this issue, such as BYD can't sell here either.