- Polestar, the Swedish EV maker backed by China’s Geely, posted its best-ever first-quarter sales.
- The company finished 2025 with a bang, and the momentum continued into the first quarter of 2026.
- With 50% more showrooms than last year, Polestar is preparing to expand its portfolio with more models this year.
Polestar, the maker of the beloved Polestar 2 and the controversial Polestar 4—that’s the one without the rear window—, had a great start to the year, posting its best-ever first-quarter sales numbers.
The Geely-backed Swedish automaker sold an estimated 13,126 cars globally from January through March, a 7% increase year over year. The company didn’t break out individual sales numbers for each model or country, but said that the result is due to a strong performance in key markets like Australia, Germany, Sweden, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Generous discounts likely helped, too.
Polestar 3 U.S. production
Photo by: Polestar
“Our performance in the first quarter has shown resilience, with market conditions becoming more challenging amid ongoing geopolitical developments,” said Michael Lohscheller, Polestar CEO.
Another contributing factor to the company’s sales growth is the increasing number of dealerships that sell Polestar models. The automaker said that the number of retail sales points went up by 50% compared to last year’s first quarter, going from 154 to 230. Early last year, Polestar made a deal with Volvo to use its dealer network in addition to online sales.
By the end of the year, Polestar wants to reach approximately 250 sales points globally, representing a 20% increase compared to the end of 2025.
Besides growing its showroom network, the Swedish EV-only brand is betting on a bigger product portfolio and a leaner manufacturing footprint. By the end of 2026, the Polestar 5 four-door grand tourer and a wagon version of the Polestar 4 will join the lineup, followed by the second generation of the Polestar 2 entry-level sedan and the Polestar 7 compact SUV in 2028.
Currently, the marque sells the first-generation Polestar 2, which was discontinued in the U.S., alongside the Polestar 4 four-door crossover, and the Polestar 3 flagship SUV. The former is currently manufactured in China and the United States, but Chinese production will end by the end of this year, as the company will shift its efforts to the U.S., making better use of Volvo’s plant in South Carolina.
