Polestar withdraws from the US and prepares for the European premiere of the Polestar 4 SUV estate.

The Swedish electric vehicle company Polestar has effectively been forced out of the United States due to its links with China, but it is not downhearted and is consolidating its efforts on developing its business in Europe. Sales of the mid-sized crossover estate Polestar 4 SUV are scheduled to begin on 2 September.

At the end of June, Polestar's press office announced that the US Department of Commerce had not granted the company permission to sell 2027 model year vehicles, as Polestar does not comply with the Connected Vehicle Rules approved last year. These rules are designed to protect the US from potential spyware and electronic components linked to China or Russia. Polestar, as is well known, is owned by the Chinese conglomerate Geely; the US authorities concluded that its ties to China at the IT technology level were too close, and therefore did not renew its permission to sell cars in the US. Polestar did not contest this decision, but simply announced its forced withdrawal from the American market, with dealers now selling off remaining stock.

The flagship Polestar 3 crossover is actually produced in the US at the Volvo plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina, while the Polestar 4 arrives in the US from South Korea, but for the US authorities what matters is not the place of assembly but the location of the servers that service the vehicles. Volvo Cars and Lotus are also owned by Geely, but they have their own IT ecosystems, shielded from direct control from China, so they continue to operate in the US for now. Polestar could in theory have relocated its IT ecosystem out of China, but the US market accounts for only 6% of its sales, so it was decided not to waste time and effort adapting to the new rules.

Polestar now ties its future mainly to the European market, which accounts for around 80% of its sales. Polestar's sales in China ceased last year. The upcoming new model, the Polestar 4 SUV (shown in the lead photograph), is also aimed primarily at European buyers, who still have a fondness for estate-bodied cars. Sales of the Polestar 4 SUV will begin on 2 September, with the premiere taking place either on the same day or slightly earlier.

Currently, the Polestar 4 is offered only as a liftback with a solid tailgate, which has led to owners frequently damaging the rear end when parking. The estate will have a 'normal' tailgate with a glass window, so parking problems should be a thing of the past.

The estate based on the Polestar 4 was announced back in February this year alongside the company's other new models, but it is only today that it has been confirmed it will be called the Polestar 4 SUV. The Polestar 4 liftback was renamed the Polestar 4 Coupe in May this year and received an upgraded suspension (with improved handling and ride comfort), which will also be carried over to the estate.

In terms of powertrains, the Polestar 4 Coupe and Polestar 4 SUV are likely to be fully unified: it has been announced that the base single-motor version will be able to travel up to 630 km on a single charge under the WLTP cycle, while the top dual-motor version will boast 544 bhp. Further details will be revealed on 2 September. The Polestar 4 SUV will be produced in the same location as the liftback — in Busan, South Korea.