Polestar Won’t Appeal U.S. Sales Ban and Is Shifting Its Focus to Europe

Polestar’s American future may be over before ever getting a chance to get started. The Swedish EV maker has no plans to appeal its U.S. sales ban, according to The Wall Street Journal. The decision means that the brand, which is a corporate sibling of Volvo, is effectively giving up on the stateside market and shifting its focus to its home continent. Last month, it came out that Polestar, which only started selling cars in the U.S. earlier this decade, would no longer be able to sell vehicles in the here thanks to a new Department of Commerce rule. The regulation, which is called the U.S. Connected Vehicles Rule, restricts the import and sale of internet-connected vehicles linked to China or Russia. The rationale is that those vehicles pose a national security threat because of their cameras, GPS systems, and other connected technology. Polestar is affected by the rule because it is owned by Volvo and China-based Geely Auto, with the latter holding a majority stake in the automaker. Volvo, which is also majority owned by Geely, was granted authorization to import and sell vehicles in May, but after what is described as “significant dialogue” with U.S. officials, Polestar decided that an appeal of its ban was unlikely to succeed. When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Polestar confirmed to Robb Report that the rule means that the company will not be able to “market and sell” its from the 2027 model year onward “under the current regulatory framework.” Despite this, the company said its current customers had nothing to worry about. “Supporting our customers remains our highest priority,” the spokesperson said. “Existing Polestar owners and lease customers will continue to receive the same level of support and access to service as they do today. All existing warranties remain in effect and will continue to be honored in accordance with their terms and conditions.” The brand will now shift its attention from the lucrative American market to other regions, with its focus expected to be on Europe, according to the paper. The loss of access to the U.S. market will be disappointing to the company but shouldn’t prove crippling. In June, Motor1.com reported 94 percent of Polestar sales in the first quarter of 2026 came from outside the U.S. Unfortunately, the news does mean that our already slim chances of getting the gorgeous Polestar 6 in the foreseeable future are now likely dashed.