Polestar Closes Best First Half Ever: 30,423 Cars Sold

Polestar has communicated its sales figures for the first half and the second quarter of 2026, highlighting the best half-year result ever recorded by the Swedish company in terms of retail volumes. In the first six months of the year, 30,423 vehicles were delivered to end customers, a slight increase from the 30,289 units in the same period of 2025, representing a growth of 0.4%.

The data takes on a different connotation when looking solely at the second quarter: between April and June 2026, retail sales totaled 17,296 units, down 4% compared to the 18,026 vehicles delivered in Q2 2025. This slowdown is primarily attributed to the dynamics of the U.S. market, where the Connected Vehicle Rule, a regulation introduced by U.S. authorities regarding connected vehicles, has impacted the automotive sector's operations.

To isolate the effect of this factor, Polestar chose to provide overall data alongside details of sales excluding the American market: calculating global retail sales without the United States, the first half of 2026 shows a more pronounced growth of 3.1% (28,562 units against 27,712 the previous year), while the second quarter limits the decline to 3.9% (16,175 units against 16,818).

CEO Michael Lohsceller emphasized how the record semester milestone was achieved in a complicated context marked by regulatory challenges and a difficult market, while also highlighting progress in several key markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, and the Iberian area.

The manager also pointed to the expansion of the distribution network, which has reached a total of 235 points of sale globally, a 39% annual increase, ahead of a phase that the company defines as crucial for the launch of new models. The first deliveries of Polestar 5 are expected in the coming months, while production of the Polestar 4 SUV is already underway, with the first deliveries of this model planned for the fourth quarter of the year.

On the market front, Italy stands out with a 58% growth in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, placing the country among the areas of greatest development for the brand in Europe. Elettra Benelli, Managing Director of Polestar Italy, attributed the result to the increasingly strategic role of the Italian market in the European expansion journey, linking the growth of customer confidence to investments in design, technology, and sustainability of products.

Looking at the range, Polestar's current offering includes the models Polestar 2, 3, 4, and 5, available in 28 markets across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The product plan expects the arrival, by 2028, of the compact SUV Polestar 7, which will be manufactured in Europe, and the electric roadster Polestar 6. The company already has production capacity active on two continents, North America and Asia, which it intends to further expand in the coming years.