Polestar Needs To Quickly Figure Out Where It's Going

The Polestar O2 looks to me like a vehicle that’s meant to showcase the future of this company. It ticks all the boxes: it looks cool, it’s an EV, comes in roadster form, the fitment looks like it was adjusted by enthusiasts, and it promises some cool accessories that come with the car. It got my attention, and because I’m not a Volvo fan, this made me look for further details.

That’s how I stumbled upon a customer’s review of the company and its operations. Needless to say that under anonymity, everyone’s a gangster. We know how the internet works. There’s no mystery here. What got my attention was his rant. It was long, and he seemed keen on telling others about the experience. He spoke about how after having two Teslas, a decision was made to switch to Polestar’s 2.

This guy put a deposit down and, since then, hasn’t felt stress-free for a while. It all started with the vehicle not showing on his account, but customer support assured him the system takes a couple of days to update. After a week of nothingness, this person rings the Polestar people yet again. He’s told that his order hasn’t been confirmed yet. Another two weeks go by, and he decides an answer is needed. He calls again, but instead of an answer, he's transferred to other employees who, like the others, knew nothing about his car. Customer support, sales, the workshop… Nobody knew anything about this man’s car. The last Polestar person he spoke to said he will receive an e-mail with all the details in three days. He got the e-mail: it was a link to the company’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

It's understandable to feel rage at this point, but he didn't give up. He called again, and customer support recommended him to go in person to the dealership and sort it out. He wanted the car, so he picked up the phone again and asked the dealership what could be done if he'll appear at their doorstep. The answer he got was that they don't know anything about his order and the solution they had was to call customer support. Now, after this last answer, the man gave up. In the end, he ordered another Tesla instead.

It's not the automaker's fault

This got me thinking about the carmaker. What’s up with it? Is Polestar to blame for situations like this?

The short answer is no. No, we cannot blame Polestar for situations like these. Even though the company is trying its best to remain relevant and it’s pushing the boundaries further in EV making, stories like these will pop up, and potential customers will be discouraged from buying Polestars. It’s a shame, really.

The thing is, there’s not much Polestar can do in this regard. The blame, right now, sits with dealerships – the middlemen nobody wants to deal with anymore. Tesla proved it can be done, and others want to follow suit too. That’s why Ford’s splitting its business and why we’ve seen pieces of legislation like the one in Oklahoma that proposed dealerships becoming mandatory.

It’s a fight for survival

For now, Polestar’s prospective customers will have to deal with the middlemen. That’s why there’ll be a lot of complaints along the way. The dealerships control their area and are experts in getting what they want. These entities are separate companies, but how they do business ultimately impacts the carmaker. Another person that wanted a Polestar 2 shared his experience with me and said that the entire process was a hassle. As an example, he spoke about how he used the online configurator, but when he met with the salesperson, it had to be done again.

This is clearly a silent confrontation that, at least for now, seems like it’s kept under the rug.

No carmaker should ever have to face dealers that work in their disadvantage, but the reality is seldom as we wish to be.

This brings us to a frustrating conclusion: for now, it’s easy to see that Polestar has a designer in the role of the CEO. There are not that many people in the industry like Elon Musk, Mary Barra, or Peter Rawlinson to go around. Polestar’s cars look great, reviews of its products are acceptable, and they know how to make you interested in their vehicles. Somehow, in the U.S., at least, they tend to fail where it’s the most important: the sale. Customer care is practically non-existent.

Furthermore, the Polestar 1 didn’t really impress anyone. It looks like a very expensive Volvo S90 in coupe form as it starts from $155,000 in the U.S. Moreover, it packs so many technologies that automatically make you wonder: what’s going to fail first? How can one be convinced that a turbocharged, supercharged, electrified, gas-powered unpractical, and heavy car with manually adjustable dampers can be the one that you will happily take home? Especially when you get inside and feel like you’re just in a Volvo, not in something that's exceptional. It’s hard to imagine someone would pay that much for a plug-in hybrid.

But let’s be clear on one thing: Thomas Ingenlath has a hard job to do, and I’m not saying he’s doing it badly. Looking at how Polestar has evolved, it’s clear this man and his team are trying to do their best. Like Cupra or Alpine, Polestar has become an international brand. It’s easily recognizable everywhere, and its cars look distinctively Swedish. They just have to get their internal affairs in order. Something must change quickly, or Polestar will ultimately fail to reach its goals.

I, for one, will follow the carmaker’s journey and, at some point, maybe I’ll even become an owner. I still believe Polestar shows a lot of promise. It just needs a proper, clear strategy.