The Feds deny Polestar’s license to sell cars in the US starting in 2027

The days of the Polestar electric car in the US are very much numbered. Today, the company revealed that the US Department of Commerce has refused to approve the importation of new Polestars from 2027 onwards as part of the law. blocking connected traffic from automakers with Chinese links.

Polestar says it will continue to sell its Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 SUVs and will “continue to support customers, including providing access to its network.” But we can forget about the Polestar 5 sedan, Polestar 6 roadster, or future models that will make it to the coast.

The automaker was spun off from Volvo Cars a few years ago as a pure EV model by its parent, Zhejiang Geely Holding, a Chinese company that also owns OEMs such as Lynk and Co and Zeekr. And weeks ago, Commerce authorized Volvo import MY27 cars. At the time, Polestar told Ars that it was continuing to work with US authorities to enforce the law; that work was apparently in vain.

US carmakers have been very successful in raising safety support from across the political spectrum, although surprisingly, the Polestar 3 SUV is built in South Carolina at Volvo’s factory near Charleston. The US-bound Polestar 4s are built in South Korea, although most of Polestar’s production is in China.

“The automotive industry is entering a new territory, using regional strengths. Our strategy shows that Europe will be our main engine of growth and our plan to produce the Polestar 7 in Europe,” said Michael Lohscheller, CEO of Polestar. “Our sales in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 show that we are making great progress, with new sales taking place in Europe this year. In addition, we will continue to sell in markets where we have opportunities for continued growth, such as Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Canada.”