This cursed brand finally arrives in France

Polestar had everything to become a major player in the French electric car market alongside Tesla and MG. But everything went wrong.

Polestar decided to expand its presence across Europe, with France designated as a priority market to conquer. But before diving into the details, let’s take a moment to go back to 2020. The Sino-Swedish brand of the Geely Group proudly announced its arrival in Europe, but Citroën noticed that Polestar’s logo, symbolizing the North Star, closely resembled that of its sub-brand DS. The double-chevron manufacturer then took legal action, effectively blocking the automaker’s entry into France. A few months later, the Paris court issued a ruling favorable to the two French firms, stating that Polestar “harms” their reputation. Condemned to pay 150,000 euros, the Sino-Swedish brand crossed the French market off its list.

Encouraged by this first victory, Citroën brought the case before European courts, hoping to ban Polestar from the entire Old Continent. But this time, the Stellantis group brand did not win. Faced with a barrage of strikes, Polestar retaliated by accusing Citroën of copying the design of some of its wheels.

And time flies…

Ultimately, the two manufacturers found common ground at the end of 2022, withdrawing their complaints without making the terms of the agreement public. Two years lost for Polestar, which has nevertheless established itself in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. Polestar can therefore legally sell its electric vehicles in France and the manufacturer’s site, which had previously been blocked in France, is now accessible. Since then, silence has reigned. Is this a condition of the agreement to give Citroën time to successfully launch its electric range? Quite likely.

Polestar has just announced its arrival in France by 2025, but the situation for the manufacturer is anything but bright. Polestar is struggling to find a sustainable positioning against the largest electric vehicle manufacturers. Like all electric vehicle companies, there is a painful growth period that can prove extremely difficult… and often leads to bankruptcy! Even though the brand almost met its goals in 2023, it fell short of its sales forecasts by 6%. A small matter on paper, but millions of euros lost on the profit and loss statement, forcing it to lay off some of its staff. At the same time, the contract that linked Polestar to Hertz, which was supposed to allow a significant portion of the production to be sold to the rental company, has been terminated and deliveries stopped. When it rains, it pours. These troubles ultimately led the main shareholder Volvo to throw in the towel, selling its shares to Geely as part of a strange financial maneuver since Volvo, like Polestar, belongs to… Geely!

So we will soon see the arrival of Polestar 2, 3, and 4 in France, three cars with particularly interesting features and looks. Like BYD, Polestar will partner with well-established multi-brand automotive groups to market its vehicles while opening Polestar Spaces showrooms to present them to the public. The question remains whether it’s not too late.