Polestar widens global production locations to include Europe for electric SUV from 2027

Polestar is planning to make its Polestar 7 premium compact electric SUV in Europe in a move it said would strengthen its global manufacturing network. It plans to sell the vehicle in Europe from 2027 and said decision to locate in Europe is part of wider changes being made at the carmaker to improve operational, commercial and financial performance. 

The carmaker has not specified an exact production location or which platform the Polestar 7 will be based on. One possibility could be Volvo’s Ghent plant in Belgium, which will begin production of the fully electric XE30 this year. Making the Polestar 7 alongside it in 2027 could bring savings in terms of shared capacity and supply chain, including for lithium batteries. Geely owns both Polestar and Volvo. The carmaker added the Polestar 3 to the production line at Volvo’s US plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina last year, alongside the Volvo EX90 electric SUV.

Polestar has confirmed that the Polestar 4 will also be made in South Korea in the second half of this year, initially for the North American market. It is currently made at its parent company Geely’s plant in Hangzhou Bay, China.

The Geely-owned Swedish carmaker will start selling the Polestar 5 in the second half of this year, following on the established sales of the Polestar 2 and the ramp-up in deliveries of Polestar 3 and Polestar 4.

Polestar will also begin sales in France this summer using an agency distribution model and using partners in the Volvo network. The carmaker will be supplying the French market with its current lineup: Polestar 2, 3 and 4 from either Asia or North America (see box).

Stéphane Le Guevel has been appointed managing director of Polestar France, effective February 2025. He has over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, much of it spent at Stellantis. Since 2022, he has been managing the Polestar brand in Spain and Portugal. Polestar also sells vehicles in Sweden, Norway and Germany.