Written by Cláudio Afonso | info@claudio-afonso.com | LinkedIn | Twitter
Polestar announced on Friday the arrival to Portugal with its Polestar 2 model priced from 49,900€. Test drives for the electric model are scheduled to begin in Lisbon, Porto, and Algarve in June. The Environmental Fund incentive, subject to application, allows customers to receive a €4,000 reimbursement from the Portuguese Government.
Since the beginning of the year, the Swedish electric vehicle maker expanded to 4 new markets increasing its global presence to 23 markets, seven away from its target of 30 markets in aggregate by the end of 2023.
Miguel Pinto, General Manager of Polestar Portugal, comments: “the electric car market in Portugal is growing, bringing Polestar to the country was a logical step for the brand. We are excited to bring a genuinely attractive option to the premium compact segment and to offer the Portuguese an innovative and sustainable electric car that presents itself as an alternative to current gasoline or diesel cars.”
The company reported on Thursday record sales for the first four months of 2022 with vehicle sales more than doubling to approximately 13,600 and the order take more than tripling to nearly 23,000 year over year. “We promised growth and we are delivering on that promise,” Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO said.
Although, Polestar reduced 2022 guidance from 65,000 units to 50,000 due to the “prolonged government COVID-19 lockdowns in China during the first half of 2022”.
“While exceptionally strong order-take shows Polestar’s ability to achieve its 2022 target of 65,000 vehicle sales, the company is facing supply chain constraints that continue to challenge the whole of the auto industry.
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Polestar intends to list on the Nasdaq in a proposed business combination with Gores Guggenheim, Inc. (Nasdaq: GGPI, GGPIW, and GGPIU), which is expected to close in the first half of 2022.
The EV maker released on Tuesday its 2021 Annual Review and Sustainability report where it highlighted progress towards its ambitious climate goals. In 2021, Polestar reduced greenhouse gas-emissions per car sold by 6 percent through its focus on increased efficiency and use of renewable energy.
“As we look to the future, I can’t help but feel excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. We have announced our intention to list on Nasdaq New York in a proposed business combination with Gores Guggenheim, Inc. In February we revealed an exciting concept car, the Polestar O2, an electric roadster. The reception we received from the press and the public was overwhelming! And just last month we announced a global, strategic partnership with Hertz for purchasing up to 65,000 Polestar cars over five years. The partnership will bring the amazing experience of driving an electric car to a wider audience. For many people it may be the first time they try an EV, and it will be a Polestar,” CEO said. Check Ingenlath’s statement here.
Last week, the company unveiled that the rating of its model Polestar 2 has been upgraded to ‘Good’ in the latest round of Assisted Driving (AD) gradings by Euro NCAP. Previously, in late 2021, the recognised leading safety testing institution rated the model’s AD as “moderate”. Since then, Polestar launched an Over-the-Air (OTA) software update that addressed “non-critical concerns raised by the organisation when originally tested”, the EV maker said.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | info@claudio-afonso.com | LinkedIn | Twitter