Swedish electric vehicle maker Polestar is set to begin deliveries in France this year, aiming to establish the country as one of its top three European markets, according to its French managing

director, Stéphane Le Guével.

After grappling with financial strain, trade tariffs, and a broader slowdown in EV demand, Polestar—majority-owned by China’s Geely Holding—is refocusing on its most profitable region: Europe. However, even within Europe, the company’s expansion had stalled since its last market launches in 2022.

“As a young company, we’ve had a steady pace of launches. It’s healthy to pause, regroup, and then relaunch,” said Le Guével. “This year, we’re concentrating on France. Next year, we’ll resume expansion, potentially in Central Europe and Latin America.”

Despite its efforts to gain ground in the U.S. and China, Polestar’s premium EVs have found their strongest foothold in Europe, which currently accounts for 75% of its global sales. Le Guével said he expects France to eventually join the U.K. and Sweden as one of Polestar’s biggest European markets.

The brand has positioned itself as a competitor to Tesla, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, even targeting Tesla owners directly in ad campaigns. However, Polestar’s growth had been on hold since it entered Spain, Portugal, and Italy around three years ago.

In France, the company will begin taking orders on Wednesday for its Polestar 2, 3, and 4 models, priced between €46,800 and €79,800. Its first showroom will open in Le Mans this July, with deliveries expected to start in October. Polestar will rely on Volvo’s existing network for service and support, as Volvo still produces some of its models.

Polestar’s French debut had been delayed due to a legal challenge from PSA (now part of Stellantis), which claimed the Polestar logo resembled the DS brand logo. The dispute was settled in 2022, though financial terms were not disclosed. Photo by JustAnotherCarDesigner, Wikimedia commons.