Polestar’s US sales halt leaves owners with service and resale questions
Polestar plans to stop selling vehicles in the US, leaving owners and dealers uncertain about warranties, updates and car values.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Polestar’s plan to stop selling cars in the US has left existing customers and dealers trying to determine what support will remain. The decision matters because owners still need service, warranty coverage and software updates for vehicles that may now be harder to resell.
The EV maker said last month that it would end US vehicle sales beginning with the 2027 model year, according to The Verge. The move followed a federal decision denying Polestar authorization to keep selling vehicles despite a rule targeting Chinese-made connected-vehicle software.
Polestar is based in Sweden, but it is majority owned by China’s Geely, The Verge reported. The company’s ownership structure put it in the path of the US rule, which bars vehicles using connected-vehicle software made in China.
The Verge reported that the announcement has created uncertainty for thousands of Polestar owners and dozens of US dealers. Owners are asking who will maintain their cars, whether software support will continue and how the sales halt will affect resale values at a time when EV depreciation is already high.
DL Byron, a Washington state inventor and content creator, told The Verge he bought a certified pre-owned Polestar 2 only days before the company announced the US sales halt. “It feels like we’re the ones left holding the bag, with no compensation for the sudden loss in market value on cars we just bought or leased,” Byron said.
Byron told The Verge he is relying on Polestar to keep backing vehicles already on the road. “At this point I have to trust that Polestar will honor its warranty and service commitments,” he said. He added: “We deserve better.”
The decision has also drawn comparisons with Volvo, another Geely-controlled automaker. The Verge reported that Volvo received Commerce Department authorization to continue selling vehicles in the US despite its Chinese ties, a contrast that has frustrated some Polestar owners.
Polestar’s halt adds to a broader pullback in the EV market, where companies have delayed models, canceled plans or shifted strategies, according to The Verge. For US Polestar owners, the immediate concern is more practical: keeping their cars supported after the brand stops selling new vehicles in the country.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.