The Swedish electric car maker Polestar, controlled by Chinese owners, wants to expand its business in Europe and produce cars on its home continent for the first time. The new Polestar 7 model will be produced in Europe, Polestar boss Michael Lohscheller (56) told the news agencies dpa-AFX and dpa on Thursday.
“The costs are significantly lower than shipping cars around the world,” he explained Former Opel boss in office since October in Gothenburg. “Of course it also gives us protection from customs duties.” The company wants to be independent of them. The EU introduced punitive tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars last year.
Production so far in Asia and USA
So far, Polestar has only been manufactured in Asia, primarily in Chinese factories, and in the USA at Volvo produced. According to Lohscheller, it is not yet clear where exactly and with which partner the new car, planned as a compact SUV, will be built in Europe, and the market launch has not yet been firmly established.
However, the manager will also put the business in Europe on a broader footing overall, including in Germany and France. Until now, the car manufacturer sold its cars primarily through online orders and then delivered them through its few showrooms.
In the future, Polestar cars will also be available for purchase at around 300 dealers worldwide. “I would like us to position ourselves more broadly in sales and address more customers,” he said.