Polestar reports strong start to 2022 with record sales, continued growth and market expansion
Polestar actively managing ongoing global supply chain challenges
GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN – 19 MAY 2022. Polestar, the premium electric performance car brand, has announced record sales for the first four months of 2022 as well as excellent global order intake fuelled by continued expansion into new and existing markets. In the first four months of the year, vehicle sales more than doubled to approximately 13,600 and the Company’s order take more than tripled to nearly 23,000 compared to the same period in 2021.
During the period, Polestar increased its global presence to 23 markets, up from 19 at the end of 2021, putting the company on track to meet its target of 30 markets in aggregate by the end of 2023. New markets in the Middle East and Europe will be joined by Spain and Portugal imminently. Plans are underway to begin operations in Israel and Italy later in 2022.
In addition, Polestar has announced a global partnership with the car rental company Hertz to supply 65,000 cars over the next five years.
“We promised growth and we are delivering on that promise,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.
While exceptionally strong order-take shows Polestar’s ability to achieve its 2022 target of 65,000 vehicle sales, the company is facing supply chain constraints that continue to challenge the whole of the auto industry.
As a result of prolonged government COVID-19 lockdowns in China during the first half of 2022, Polestar has now announced a reduction to the number of customer vehicle sales that it will be able to deliver in 2022 from 65,000 to approximately 50,000.
The reduction for 2022 is 100% attributable to the lockdowns in China. Polestar, along with its partners Volvo Cars and Geely, continues to actively manage these ongoing supply chain challenges, as it did in 2021 when the company delivered approximately 29,000 vehicles. Through an implementation of a rapid response plan, including an accelerated introduction of a second production shift at the factory, Polestar plans to recover some of the production loss it has suffered later in the year and remains confident it will deliver its targeted sales volumes for 2023 through 2025.
“The fundamentals driving the growth in sales of electric cars remain in place and the momentum is stronger than the uncertainties we are witnessing right now. Any short- to medium-term economic effects have not dented our goal of selling 290,000 cars in 2025 – 10 times more than we sold in 2021,” continues Thomas Ingenlath.
“We believe our future growth will be further accelerated by our entry into the lucrative SUV market later this year with the world premiere in October of the long-awaited Polestar 3 electric performance SUV. Polestar 3, which will be manufactured in the US and China, will stand out amongst other SUV offerings and boost our strong growth trajectory to take us into our next phase.”
The SUV market is one of the highest growth and margin segments in the automotive industry, especially in the United States. Customers should be able to order Polestar 3 on the day of the premiere in October.
Polestar intends to list on the Nasdaq in a proposed business combination with Gores Guggenheim, Inc. (Nasdaq: GGPI, GGPIW, and GGPIU), which is expected to close in the first half of 2022.
Ends.
About Polestar
Polestar was established as a new, standalone Swedish premium electric vehicle manufacturer in 2017. Founded by Volvo Car AB (publ) (together with its subsidiaries, “Volvo Cars”) and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd (“Geely”),Polestar enjoys specific technological and engineering synergies with Volvo Cars and benefits from significant economies of scale as a result.
Polestar is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, and its vehicles are currently available and on the road in markets across Europe, North America, China and Asia Pacific. By 2023, the company plans that its cars will be available in an aggregate of 30 markets. Polestar cars are currently manufactured in two facilities in China, with additional future manufacturing planned in the USA.
In September 2021, Polestar announced its intention to list as a public company on the Nasdaq in a business combination agreement with Gores Guggenheim, Inc. Full information on this definitive agreement can be found here.
Polestar has produced two electric performance cars. The Polestar 1 was built between 2019 and 2021 asa low-volume electric performance hybrid GT with a carbon fibre body, 609 hp, 1,000 Nm and an electric-only range of 124 km (WLTP) – the longest of any hybrid car in the world.
The Polestar 2 electric performance fastback is the company’s first fully electric, high volume car. The Polestar 2 model range includes three variants with a combination of long- and standard range batteries as large as 78 kWh, and dual- and single-motor powertrains with as much as 300 kW / 408 hp and 660 Nm.
From 2022, Polestar plans to launch one new electric vehicle per year, starting with Polestar 3 – the company’s first electric performance SUV. Polestar 4 is expected to follow in 2023, a smaller electric performance SUV coupe.
In 2024, the Polestar 5 electric performance 4-door GT is planned to be launched as the production evolution of Polestar Precept – the manifesto concept car that Polestar released in 2020 that showcases the brand’s future vision in terms of design, technology, and sustainability. As the company seeks to reduce its climate impact with every new model, Polestar aims to produce a truly climate-neutral car by 2030.
In early March 2022, Polestar revealed its second concept car, the Polestar O₂ electric performance roadster. Polestar O₂ builds on the design, technology and sustainability ambitions laid out by Precept and showcases the brand’s vision for future sports cars. The hard-top convertible presents an evolution of the unique design language first shown by Precept and emphasises a dynamic driving experience. The concept further develops the focus on sustainability and technology, aiming towards greater circularity.
About Gores Guggenheim, Inc.
Gores Guggenheim, Inc. (Nasdaq: GGPI, GGPIW, and GGPIU) is a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of The Gores Group, LLC, founded by Alec Gores, and by an affiliate of Guggenheim Capital, LLC. Gores Guggenheim completed its initial public offering in April 2021, raising approximately USD 800 million in cash proceeds for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Gores Guggenheim's strategy is to identify and complete business combinations with market leading companies with strong equity stories that will benefit from the growth capital of the public equity markets and be enhanced by the experience and expertise of Gores' and Guggenheim’s long history and track record of investing in and operating businesses.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release (“Press Release”) may be considered “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or the future financial or operating performance of Gores Guggenheim, Inc. (“Gores Guggenheim”), Polestar Performance AB and/or its affiliates (the “Company”) and Polestar Automotive Holding UK Limited (“ListCo”). For example, projections of future Adjusted EBITDA or revenue and other metrics are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential”, “forecast”, “plan”, “seek”, “future”, “propose” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements.
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Additional Information
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