Written by Polestar cars
Polestar cars are electric performance models from a Swedish brand that began as a Volvo racing team in 1996. In this guide you’ll find the 2026 lineup, as well as how Polestar went from touring car racing to EVs, who owns it today and where the cars are built.
Polestar cars at a Glance
Founded 1996 As Flash Engineering · EV brand since 2017
Headquarters Gothenburg, Sweden Listed parent registered in the UK
Main owner Li Shufu and Geely About two-thirds of the shares
Retail sales, 2025 60,119 Up 34% on 2024, a record
Leadership Michael Lohscheller CEO since October 2024
Listing Nasdaq: PSNY Since June 2022
Polestar cars Model Lineup
Polestar cars are all fully electric, and the 2026 range has four models, from a fastback to a fast four-door GT. In addition, Polestar plans four new cars by 2028, including a successor to the Polestar 2 in 2027 and the Polestar 7 compact SUV in 2028. UK prices are shown below.
Sedans and GTs (2)
Electric fastback
Polestar 2
Electric 272 to 476 hp Built in China
The Polestar 2 was the first car with Google built in, and more than 190,000 have been sold. You can get 70- or 82-kWh batteries with up to 409 miles of WLTP range, while UK prices start at £45,210. It’s built in Luqiao, China, and an all-new successor is due in early 2027.
Electric four-door GT
Polestar 5
Electric Up to 884 PS 112 kWh
The Polestar 5 is the most powerful Polestar so far, with 737 bhp in the Dual motor or 871 bhp in the Performance. It’s also the first car on Polestar’s own platform, which was developed in the UK. UK prices start at £89,500, and deliveries began in 2026.
SUVs (2)
Electric SUV
Polestar 3
Electric 333 to 680 hp 800-volt
The Polestar 3 is a large SUV with 92- or 106-kWh batteries and up to 402 miles of WLTP range. UK prices start at £76,540. Since 2026, all Polestar 3 production has moved to the Volvo plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina.
Electric SUV coupe
Polestar 4
Electric 272 or 544 hp No rear window
The Polestar 4 is now the brand’s best-seller, and it famously has no rear window, so a camera feeds the mirror instead. It has a 100-kWh battery with up to 385 miles of WLTP range, while UK prices start at £56,750. In addition, a Polestar 4 SUV with a rear window arrives in late 2026.
What Is Polestar cars?
Polestar began in 1996 as Flash Engineering, a Swedish racing team founded by driver Jan Nilsson with support from Volvo. Then Christian Dahl bought it and renamed it Polestar in 2005. After that, it became Volvo’s official performance partner in 2009, so it tuned cars like the S60 Polestar.
Volvo bought Polestar in 2015, while the racing team became a separate company called Cyan Racing. Later, Volvo and its owner Geely relaunched Polestar in 2017 as an electric performance brand. Polestar then listed on Nasdaq in 2022.
Today Polestar cars are sold in Europe, Asia and Australia, and most of them are built in China. However, Polestar is still losing money, and it lost $2.36 billion in 2025 even though sales rose 34%. As a result, Geely and Li Shufu have put in more money, while Volvo Cars now holds only a small stake.
Polestar cars History
Polestar cars have a short history as a brand, but the name goes back to Swedish touring car racing.
- 1996 Jan Nilsson founds Flash Engineering, and he wins the Swedish Touring Car Championship in a Volvo.
- 2005 Then Christian Dahl renames the team Polestar Racing.
- 2009 Polestar becomes Volvo’s performance partner, while Tommy Rustad wins the STCC title.
- 2013 The first S60 Polestar road cars are sold in Australia.
- 2015 Later, Volvo buys Polestar, and the race team becomes Cyan Racing.
- 2017 Polestar is relaunched as an electric brand, while Volvo wins the WTCC titles with Cyan.
- 2019 Production of the Polestar 1 hybrid begins in Chengdu, China.
- 2020 The Polestar 2 goes into production, and the Precept concept is shown.
- 2022 Polestar lists on Nasdaq, while the O2 roadster concept is shown.
- 2024 Meanwhile, the Polestar 3 and 4 arrive, and Volvo cuts its stake to about 18%.
- 2025 Polestar sells a record 60,119 cars, and the Polestar 5 debuts in Munich.
- 2026 Finally, Polestar 5 deliveries begin and the Polestar 4 SUV is launched.
Iconic Polestar Models
These four cars also show how Polestar moved from tuned Volvos to its own electric models.
2013–2015
S60 Polestar
Volvo Turbo six
The S60 Polestar was the first Polestar road car, and it started as a 100-car run in Australia in 2013. Later versions had 350 hp, and 750 were built for 2014 alone.
2019–2021
Polestar 1
Plug-in hybrid 1,500 built
The Polestar 1 was a 619-hp plug-in hybrid coupe, so it’s the only Polestar-badged car with a gas engine. Only 1,500 were built in Chengdu.
2020
Precept
Concept Recycled materials
The Precept concept used flax and recycled plastic inside, as well as lidar in the roof. In fact, it became the Polestar 5.
2022
O2
Roadster concept Hardtop
The O2 is an electric roadster concept with a folding hardtop. Polestar planned it as the Polestar 6, but reports in 2026 said it was delayed to 2029 at the earliest.
Who Owns Polestar cars?
Polestar cars come from a company that is mostly controlled by Geely founder Li Shufu. When AutoGathering has a page for a brand, its name below links to that page.
Main shareholders Li Shufu and Geely About two-thirds of the shares
This page Polestar Gothenburg, Sweden · Nasdaq: PSNY
Partner and shareholder Volvo Cars Builds the Polestar 3 · about 16% stake
Factory partner Renault Korea Builds some Polestar 4s in Busan
Planned factory Kosice, Slovakia Volvo plant for the Polestar 7 from 2028
Sister brands at Geely
Polestar also shares technology and plants with the other Geely brands.
For example, the Polestar 4 shares its platform with Geely brands, while the Polestar 3 is built alongside Volvos.
Former owners
- Flash Engineering and Christian Dahl (1996–2015) Polestar was an independent racing and tuning company.
- Volvo Cars (2015–2024) Volvo bought Polestar in 2015 and held about 48% until it gave most of its shares to its own shareholders in 2024.
Polestar cars Accomplishments
The record of Polestar cars is short, but it already includes sales records, safety scores and racing titles.
60,119
Sales in 2025
Polestar sold 60,119 cars in 2025, which was up 34% and a record year.
190,000+
Polestar 2s sold
The Polestar 2 is the brand’s biggest seller over time, with more than 190,000 sold.
93%
Child safety score
The Polestar 3 earned five Euro NCAP stars in 2025, including 93% for child safety.
2020
Swiss Car of the Year
The Polestar 2 won the Swiss Car of the Year award for 2020.
2017
WTCC titles
Thed Bjork and Volvo won the World Touring Car drivers’ and makers’ titles with Polestar Cyan Racing.
884
PS in the Polestar 5
In fact, the Polestar 5 Performance is the most powerful Polestar so far.
235
Retail locations
Polestar had 235 retail locations by mid-2026, up 39% in a year.
Polestar Racing History
Polestar cars carry the name of a team that won touring car titles with Volvo for two decades. For example, Polestar Racing won the Swedish Touring Car Championship in 2009, while the Cyan team later won the 2017 World Touring Car Championship. Since 2015, though, the racing team has been a separate company.
Swedish Touring Cars
Volvo C30
STCC titles 1996–2010
Jan Nilsson won the STCC in 1996 and 1997, and then Tommy Rustad won the 2009 title in a Polestar Racing Volvo C30. In addition, the team won the STCC teams’ title in 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2010.
World Touring Cars
Volvo S60 Polestar TC1
2017 titles Polestar Cyan Racing
The S60 Polestar TC1 won both World Touring Car titles in 2017. Thed Bjork took the drivers’ title, while Volvo won the makers’ title.
Talk Polestar With Other Owners
Polestar owners have plenty to share, whether it’s range tips for a Polestar 2 or software updates for a Polestar 4. Soon, AutoGathering will connect this page to a Polestar community space where you can compare models, share charging tips and plan meetups.
- Polestar 2
- Polestar 3
- Polestar 4 and 4 SUV
- Polestar 5
- Polestar 1
- Charging and range
- Software updates
- Polestar meets and events
Polestar cars FAQ
Who owns Polestar?
Geely founder Li Shufu controls about two-thirds of Polestar through his companies, while Volvo Cars owns about 16%. The rest trades on Nasdaq as PSNY.
Is Polestar a Volvo?
No. Polestar began as Volvo’s racing and tuning partner, and Volvo owned it from 2015. However, it has been a separate brand since 2017, although it still shares technology and plants with Volvo.
Where are Polestar cars made?
The Polestar 2 and most Polestar 4s are built in China, while the Polestar 3 is built in South Carolina. In addition, some Polestar 4s come from Busan, South Korea, and the Polestar 7 will be built in Slovakia.
Is Polestar a Chinese company?
Polestar is a Swedish brand based in Gothenburg. However, its main owners are Chinese, and most of its cars are built in China.
Does Polestar make a gas car?
No. Every current Polestar is fully electric. The only Polestar with a gas engine was the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid, built from 2019 to 2021.
Which Polestar has the longest range?
On the WLTP cycle, the Polestar 5 Dual motor is rated at up to 421 miles, while the Polestar 2 Long range Single motor reaches 409 miles.
Is Polestar making a roadster?
Polestar showed the O2 roadster concept in 2022 and planned it as the Polestar 6. However, reports in 2026 said it was delayed to 2029 at the earliest.
Explore More Manufacturers
Compare Polestar with its Geely sisters and other electric brands.
Photo credits
- Header image: ArildV, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- White Polestar 2 electric fastback: © M 93, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, cropped and resized.
- White Polestar 3 electric SUV at Auto…: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Gold Polestar 4 at Auto Zurich 2024: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Gray Polestar 5 electric grand tourer at…: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- 2021 Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe in…: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
- Blue Volvo S60 Polestar sedan: FotoSleuth, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized.
- Silver Polestar Precept concept car: MrWalkr, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Light blue Polestar O2 roadster concept at…: MrWalkr, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Tommy Rustad racing a Polestar Racing Volvo…: Green Yoshi, CC BY 3.0, cropped and resized.
- 2017 Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 touring car…: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.