Polestar’s retail footprint is about to grow significantly before the end of 2021 as it’s poised to double its so-called “spaces.” In total, Polestar will open more than 40 new locations before the end of the year as it continues its expansion across all regions. The one that will see the biggest growth, however, is the United States where its showrooms are expected to grow to a total of 25. Currently, 16 of those are already delivering vehicles. By the end of 2021, Polestar will be operating in 18 markets, which is double versus 2020. The number of Polestar service points, on the other hand, is expected to expand to over 780 across the markets where the brand is present.
“We have made a significant foothold across the US market in the first half of 2021, and plan to keep expanding rapidly through the rest of the year,” said Gregor Hembrough, head of Polestar North America. “Interest in the brand is at an all-time high, and we are excited to continue to bring more cities online in the second half of the year.” Currently, major urban areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Detroit, Minneapolis, and New York already have a Polestar “Space” or two that will serve those respective areas. This year, retail locations in Orange County, CA, Central New Jersey, Charlotte, NC, and Grapevine, TX will open for test drives, purchases, and service.
Polestar has simplified the customer experience after purchasing the vehicle. Owners living within 150 miles of a Polestar “Space” or service point can have their vehicle picked up for service and delivered to their homes. If you live outside the 150-mile radius, Polestar also offers a mobile service program where a technician comes to you for small repairs and software updates. The addition of new retail and service locations should help Polestar gain more brand awareness. This should also entice more prospective buyers into showrooms because the vehicles are now more accessible.
The way you buy a Polestar is different from other brands because you have to configure your ideal car online. Once you’ve done that, your configuration gets sent to the Polestar “Space” who will process it and give you an expected delivery time. In some cases, you’ll get your vehicle quicker because the car you configured is already in the region. However, if it’s not, you’ll have to wait a little bit because the car will need to be custom ordered.
Later this year, the Polestar 2 lineup will expand beyond the current dual-motor Launch Edition model. A new front-drive single-motor version with 231 hp and 246 lb-ft of torque joins the range and is expected to get an EPA rating of 260 miles per charge. In comparison, the dual-motor version makes 408 hp and 487 lb-ft from its two electric motors but its range drops to 233 miles. In addition, you’ll be able to get a Polestar 2 without the Pilot and Plus packages on it regardless of the configuration you choose. The Performance package, however, appears to only be available on the dual-motor version.
