Geely-backed Polestar registered 366 vehicles in the United Kingdom in August, a 49.8% decline year over year from the 729 units recorded in August 2025, according to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) on Friday.
August marks the second consecutive month Polestar fell below 1,000 registrations in the UK, after July’s 568 units — a 31% year-over-year decline.
Sequentially, registrations fell 36% from July’s already low base.
The back-to-back declines represent a sharp reversal from the first half of 2026, when Polestar registered 9,086 vehicles in the UK — a 9.2% increase over the first half of 2025.
Through eight months, Polestar has registered 10,020 vehicles in the country, only 1.5% above the 9,872 units logged over the same period a year ago.
At the current run rate, the brand is no longer tracking ahead of the pace required to match 2025’s full-year total of 16,959 UK registrations.
Registration volumes in the British market have historically peaked in the final month of each quarter for Polestar, driven by plate-change cycles and fleet delivery schedules. March delivered 2,406 units and June contributed 2,554 — each accounting for more than half of their respective quarter’s total.
September’s plate-change month will be critical.
With only 934 registrations recorded in July and August combined, Polestar would need to register about 2,600 vehicles in September — matching its June peak — to maintain the quarterly pattern that sustained first-half growth.
Polestar’s monthly registrations in the UK depend heavily on shipping logistics from its overseas plants, and mid-quarter months have historically produced lower volumes. August 2025 also delivered a low figure of 729.
However, the year over year decline of 50% suggests more than seasonal variation.
Polestar 4 SUV Arrives
Polestar opened sales of the Polestar 4 SUV on Wednesday, adding a more practical variant of its best-selling model to a lineup the brand is reorienting around Europe after losing access to the United States.
UK pricing starts at £54,750 ($74,000) for the Rear motor variant, £60,750 ($82,100) for the Dual motor and £68,250 ($92,300) for the Performance pack.
All three trim levels sit £2,000 below the equivalent Polestar 4 coupé.
Built on the same SEA architecture as the coupé, the SUV ships with a 100 kWh battery as standard.
Rear motor versions deliver up to 391 miles of WLTP range — the highest in the Polestar 4 family.
Dual motor all-wheel-drive variants produce 400 kW (544 hp) and offer up to 373 miles.
Production already began at a Renault Korea plant in Busan, South Korea, where the coupé version is also built — with first customer deliveries planned for the fourth quarter.
“We’ve been teasing this for a little while and now the latest evolution of our performance electric SUV is available to order,” Galvin wrote, adding that “it’ll be arriving at our UK Spaces soon.”
Polestar is also running revised promotional campaigns across its UK portfolio in September.
Coupé variants of the Polestar 4 now carry a £4,250 discount, down from the £6,500 reduction that was in place through the second quarter.
Polestar 3 SUV discounts remain at £10,000.
Competitors in a Different Lane
Other EV-focused brands with Chinese backing delivered mixed results in the UK in August, according to SMMT data.
BYD registered 3,867 vehicles, down 41% from July’s 6,603 but up 120% year over year.
The Chinese giant offers a lineup of both battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles, however.
BYD’s year-over-year growth reflects an expanding UK lineup and aggressive pricing across its Atto 3, Dolphin, Seal and Seal U models — a mass-market strategy that operates in a different price segment from Polestar’s premium positioning.
Tesla registered 2,180 vehicles, a 326% surge from July’s 512 units but a 33% decline year over year.
Tesla’s month-over-month jump is consistent with its delivery pattern, in which shipments from overseas factories arrive in waves rather than evenly across months.
XPeng posted 174 registrations, up 7% from July and 216% higher year over year.
Volumes remain small in absolute terms as the Guangzhou-based brand continues its UK expansion. The brand announced this week that it will take over direct control of its operations in the country.
UK Market Context
The broader UK new car market grew 13.7% in August to 94,236 registrations — the best performance for the month since the introduction of biannual plate changes — according to the SMMT.
BEVs accounted for 29.8% of the total, with BEV registrations rising 27.7% year over year.
Through eight months, BEVs held a 25.6% share of the UK market, a record level but still below the 33% target set under the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
According to the SMMT, the government’s decision to review the mandate was an essential step to align targets with demand.
Broader Headwinds
Polestar’s UK slowdown coincides with a challenging period for the brand globally.
Second-quarter retail sales fell 3.9% excluding the United States, and the company halved its 2026 growth target earlier this year, guiding for low double-digit volume growth rather than the 30–35% compound annual rate it had previously pledged.
Polestar is also selling down its final US stock after the Commerce Department declined to waive the Connected Vehicle Rule for the Chinese-owned brand.
CEO Michael Lohscheller has ruled out an appeal.
Leadership turnover has continued.
Polestar’s head of software departed in July after more than three years, and the brand replaced the Volvo Cars manufacturing executive on its board with a sales head last month.
