Polestar

Polestar is an all-electric car brand that began as a standalone company that tuned Volvos to be sportier. Once Volvo acquired it, Polestar became a subsidiary that built specially-badged performance cars similar to BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG. In 2017, Polestar became an independent company and started producing its own vehicles, which share parts from Volvo. Both Volvo and Polestar are owned by Geely, a Chinese conglomerate. The Polestar 2’s choppy ride and cramped interior did not impress us when we tested it. The brand exited the U.S. market after the 2026 model year following a decision from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. Under the Connected Vehicle Rule, which restricts vehicles with hardware and software linked to foreign entities of concern, Polestar will not sell vehicles in the U.S. from model year 2027 onwards. It continues to sell vehicles in Europe and other regions.