Polestar News

It’s EOFY time again!

Polestar Australia and the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) have slammed the Coalition’s proposed plan to scrap fines for carmakers that exceed emissions targets under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) if it wins the federal election in May.

The debate around Australia's tough new emissions laws heats up, as manufacturers pick sides on the issue.

Yet another Chinese brand in Australia? Sort of.Zeekr Australia’s General Manager, William Zhou, told CarsGuide that thanks to the change in ownership and Lynk & Co falling under Zeekr’s direction, a launch is very much on the cards for Australia.“Exactly” Zhou said when asked about Lynk & Co now being possible for our market.“It’s something we’re working on right now," he said.“For us here, in a right hand drive market, Lynk & Co previously didn’t have right-hand drive products, so we’re working on that.“Also, because in Australia we know that EVs stand for technology and innovation, but when it comes to daily use plug-in hybrids should be another major choice. So we’re confident the current product from Lynk & Co with petrol and hybrid technology will do really well in Australia, so we’re pushing to have Lynk & Co products, but under one brand, Zeekr.”Zhou explained it would be a full-control type scenario in Australia, with Lynk & Co models being distributed by Zeekr from the same dealer network the premium Chinese marque is currently building out in Australia.Lynk & Co and Zeekr were completely separate entities prior to November 2024, when both brand’s ultimate parent company, Geely, re-organised its shareholdings to place Lynk & Co under the control of Zeekr, divesting Volvo’s share from the business.Zhou wants Lynk & Co hybrids to hit our shores in the near future.“I think we’re trying for next year, but nothing is confirmed yet. There’s a lot of engineering involved.” said Zhou.Zhou said Australia is a priority and could potentially be the first RHD market for Lynk & Co.“We’ll try”, Zhou explained of Australia being a launch-market for right-hand drive. “I think the European market is hard . There are some tariff issues. Maybe the UK. But Australia is an iconic market for right-hand drive, so we’re working on that.”Zhou wasn’t ready to talk exactly what product was high on the right-hand drive priority list, but he said the company was very conscious of not overlapping with Zeekr models in order to make sure both nameplates had a chance to shine.“We should position smartly. With the future coming models from Lynk & Co we should work on how to make it cover the range without cannibalising each other.”Zeekr’s current and future line-up consists of the X small SUV, 009 people mover, and 7X mid-sizer, which leaves room for several products from Lynk & Co.A good place to start would be one of its more recent models, the 08 SUV that would bring a coupe-sized plug-in hybrid alternative to sit underneath the slightly larger, more conventional 7X SUV from Zeekr.The 08 rides on Volvo’s compact modular architecture (CMA) and is available as a plug-in hybrid (EM-P in Lynk & Co language), which pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a dedicated hybrid transmission and massive 39.6kWh battery pack good for a driving range of up to 245km according to the lenient CLTC testing cycle. If it maintains a similar specification, it would be the longest range plug-in hybrid in Australia.Other options include the 07 sedan with a similar PHEV drivetrain, 05 small coupe SUV (essentially a PHEV take on the Volvo C40 electric SUV). Less likely seems to be the XC40-based 01 SUV and 03 sedan, and the now-dated 09 SUV.The 900 six-seat flagship SUV, which sit on the latest SPA Evo architecture complete with next-generation styling, could be a possibility.The 900 features the brand’s next-gen plug-in hybrid tech consisting of either a 530kW model using a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a 43.3kWh battery pack providing up to 185km of EV driving range on the CLTC standard, or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder model providing up to 630kW that has an even larger 50kWh battery pack providing a driving range of up to 220km (CLTC).Zeekr has only just started deliveries in Australia, with a mere 100 units on the road, but Zhou said the brand is happy with the level of demand it is seeing for its existing range of premium electric models, which serve as an alternative to the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi.The brand also needs to fight off other newcomers such as Xpeng, Chery’s Jaecoo sub-brand, and BYD’s Denza marque, which all have similar ambitious plans for Australia in 2025 and beyond.

Price used to be the biggest hurdle to electric car adoption, but not anymore.Research conducted by the Electric Vehicle Council in 2022 suggested half of new car buyers were considering switching to electric, but the number one concern was the upfront cost.One of the best value offerings at the time was the Tesla Model 3, which started from a whopping $64,300. Consumers were expected to pay $15,000 to $20,000 more for an EV compared to an equivalent petrol model.A lot has changed.The electric car market has expanded significantly and costs, both from existing players and those new-to-market, have come down significantly.The upgraded Tesla Model 3, which now features more driving range and features, starts from $54,900, and you can hop into a fully electric car from as low as $29,990 (for the BYD Dolphin Essential).Not only have costs come down, but the amount of choice has exploded. The just-launched Leapmotor C10 is a mid-size family SUV, which starts from $45,888 before on-roads (or just $47,500 as part of an initial drive-away offer). It’s a price-tag equivalent to a mid-spec Toyota RAV4 — Australia’s most in-demand hybrid SUV — and soon it will have to compete with not only the Xpeng G6 but the Geely EX5.We may have expected electric car price parity to arrive with some fanfare, but it has almost arrived with barely a whimper.Top-selling models, including the Tesla Model Y, still seem to be a price-step above combustion options. There’s a vibrant price-war amongst the increasing number of Chinese automakers available and in an increasing number of segments, but it seems like electric cars have lost their lustre a bit amongst new car buyers.As a result, the latest data from the industry has those considering purchasing an EV dropping significantly.It’s not all over for electric cars as some doom and gloom headlines proclaim, often citing softening (but still growing) sales in Australia. There are also much more dire figures out of Europe causing some of the biggest manufacturers to issue embarrassing about-faces on once-bold all-electric commitments, as customers reject new products in droves.So why is this happening? Do Australian new car buyers even want an EV anymore, and are we set to follow in the footsteps of other places that have seen an EV sales slow-down?The issue has several factors, all of them economic rather than ideological, despite what the comments section would have you believe.Consumer confidence in the new car market has declined significantly with high interest rates. The January 2025 sales data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) showed a continued decline in EV sales following a soft second half of 2024, but also a rapid increase in registrations at the lowest end of the market. Significant winners so far this year include the Kia Picanto, Chery Tiggo 4, MG3, and outgoing Mitsubishi ASX, all budget petrol-powered offerings, and a far cry from the usual mid- or high-spec SUVs which have dominated sales charts for some time.Another significant factor is the removal of EV incentives from most states.The amount of competition in the Australian market has had a knock-on effect of slaughtering the resale value of existing EVs. Imagine having bought a pre-upgrade Model 3 in 2022, only to have its value halve in three years because the new one is not only better, but it’s nearly $10,000 more affordable, too.Then there’s the consideration of why buy a two- or three-year-old, relatively high kilometre Tesla, when you could have a brand-new BYD Seal with a box-fresh warranty from $46,990. Buyers have begun to question whether now is the right time for a purely electric vehicle, when they could simply wait for prices to stabilise, buying or holding on to a combustion car in the meantime.Fuel prices are hovering around $2 a litre and Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) will begin to have a significant impact on the model mix available. Hybrids appear to be the biggest beneficiaries. Sales are up a whopping 76 per cent year-on-year, driven by the return of the supply of popular Toyota models after a long period of parts shortages, and an explosion of new options available from Hyundai, Kia, GWM, Honda, and Nissan.This slowdown in EV consideration is a natural part of the process and what has to happen to bring the technology to the mainstream as automakers scramble to have the best, most affordable vehicles available.It’s the most keen early-adopters of electric vehicles who will feel the brunt of this. Their vehicles have been hit by the biggest declines in value, and they’ve had to put up with an immature charging network and even some additional expenses, like higher insurance costs.Still, the Australian market continues to evolve. While consumers seem to have turned more to hybrids, EV sales still grew in Australia, up 4.7 per cent over the course of 2024. They accounted for 91,292 units or 7.4 per cent the market and more options particularly at the same price of popular hybrids should continue to convert buyers.Australia has plenty of growth in the EV sector to go. Australia has the highest uptake of household solar in the world, which would, in turn, mean that Australian households with the ability to charge in their garage will have some of the lowest per-km cost to recharge their electric vehicles.The biggest factor in the long-run though will be the NVES. Finally catapulting Australia into the world of 21st century emissions policy, this policy will really start to bite in the second half of the decade. Almost every mainstream automaker who has spoken to CarsGuide on the topic has earmarked serious changes to their line-up, with a high percentage of pure electric vehicles necessary for them to avoid hefty fines from the government.It’s also worth noting that at 7.4 per cent adoption, while Australia has been a little slow on the uptake, it’s hardly hit the saturation point which many European jurisdictions and some Chinese cities have reached, which is a big source of their respective market slow-downs.What’s the take-away? While price-parity EVs have quietly arrived in Australia with minimal fanfare, the path for growth here seems more sustainable than the great swings and misses we’ve seen overseas.Periods of explosive growth and unsustainable subsidies are behind us, and a slowly-but-surely set of policies in place here seems to be adding incrementally to Australia’s electric fleets rather than moving from huge sales to gutting losses for automakers, and in the long term, this should add confidence for EV buyers rather than doubt.

Despite a less-than-ideal 30 per cent sales decline last year, Sino-Swedish electric car brand Polestar isn't burying its head in the sand, according to Scott Maynard, Managing Director of the brand’s local operations.Even as sister brands under the Geely umbrella, such as Zeekr, Volvo and Lotus, backflip on electric-only plans for more plug-in hybrids in response to softening EV demand, Polestar is staying true to its electric-only pledge.In fact, Maynard believes there are much bigger and better things to come in 2025 and beyond as Polestar grows its retail footprint and expands its offerings in Australia’s electric SUV market.“It wasn’t unexpected , in truth. With the incoming product of Polestar 3 and 4, we knew that there were a lot of customers holding off on a Polestar purchase,” he said.The brand has been carried by the Polestar 2 for three years since arriving in Australia, a mid-size electric sedan rivalling everything from the BMW i4 to the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Seal.Then, at the back end of last year, Polestar added an additional member, the Polestar 4, a coupe-like SUV closer in style to the Tesla Model Y – Australia’s top-selling EV.It clocked some 120 sales in December last year, far exceeding anything else in the brand’s catalogue, a feat which has Maynard anticipating strong returns in 2025.“We see huge potential, particularly in Polestar 4,” he said.Maynard stopped short of giving sales numbers projections for the brand in 2025 (last year Polestar sold 1713 cars), suggesting it was anyone’s guess with high interest rates and a challenging economic outlook.“I’m not putting a number on it yet because I’m really keen to see how the first half of the year plays out,” said Maynard.“Of course, we have to have internal planning numbers for budgets and that sort of thing, but I actually think the potential of those cars sits higher than we’re currently shooting.”It's an underlying confidence that is certainly matched by the head office in Gothenburg, Sweden, which recently announced a five-step plan to get back to profitability in 2025.Part of that plan involves growing the brand's global retail footprint by 75 per cent by 2026, increasing sales of carbon credits, expanding to new markets such as France and launching Polestar Energy – Polestar's charging network app.They're moves that couldn't be made without the support of the brand's Chinese parent company, Geely Group, which also owns Zeekr, Smart, Volvo and Lotus, though all are operated independently in Australia.Despite so many brands in Australia under Geely's ownership, Maynard is steadfast that Polestar is a unique brand competing in its own lane."We partner with Geely for investment, but we differentiate ourselves as a European brand with our heart and soul in Sweden."The brand is clearly drawing all of its design and inspiration from the design team based out of Sweden, and so we've got a pretty easy job to differentiate ourselves as a true, proper, luxury European brand."Another major part of Polestar's plan is introducing the Polestar 7, a compact electric SUV with a lower price point.“Polestar 7 is going to appeal to an Australian buyer, perhaps even more so than it does to Europe and some other markets,” said Maynard.“It is very much a key car for us and will provide us with a really lovely entry point to the brand, so to have an SUV style entry point to the Polestar brand that is 100 per cent Polestar, I think will be a really important addition to the model range.”Given the Polestar 5 GT — the brand’s first EV on its bespoke architecture — and the Polestar 6 roadster are expected to precede it, the Polestar 7 may not be in showrooms until closer to 2027.It's a long time to wait for a brand which hasn’t seen the quick sales success of upstart Chinese and American rivals, but one thing is for certain, Polestar is here for the long haul.

Australia’s new car market rose very slightly in volume in 2024 compared to 2023 - but it wasn’t good news across the board.

Polestar is keeping the ball rolling in 2025.The Chinese-owned electric carmaker has confirmed the Polestar 5 four-seat Grand Tourer will enter production this year and confirmed plans for the Polestar 7 compact electric SUV.This is off the back of the Polestar 3 and 4 SUVs launched this year.The Polestar 5 is expected to be expensive and small volume but the 7 could be the vehicle that catapults the brand up the global sales charts.The Polestar 7 is expected to replace the brand’s first electric car — the Polestar 2 sedan — in its line-up.Polestar is owned by the giant Geely group, which owns brands such as Volvo, Smart, Zeekr and its namesake Geely.The brands share vehicle platforms, software and hardware and it is likely the Polestar 7 will compete with the recently launched Zeekr X compact SUV and give it a direct rival to the Tesla Model Y.It won’t be as small as the Volvo EX30, with the brand previously telling CarsGuide that it won’t be a small hatchback or SUV and the company wouldn’t have a vehicle smaller than the current 2. That means it could be a rival to the popular Tesla model Y, Kia EV5 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.Polestar said it is planning to build the 7 in Europe, which will help it skirt around any potential tariffs levelled against Chinese-made cars. This means it is likely to be more expensive if it arrives in Australia due to higher manufacturing and shipping costs compared to China.Polestar hasn’t revealed any details of the 7 yet, but it is likely to share much of the hardware with other Geely products.This means it is in line for a similar package to the Zeekr X, which has a 64kWh battery paired with a 200kW rear motor and is capable of up to 440km of driving range. A dual-motor version ups the grunt with the addition of a front mounted electric motor delivering a combined 315kW and 543Nm and drops driving range to 400km.Polestar is also predicting this year will be its best, with the brand’s balance sheet heading into the black.Polestar already has a strong foothold in Australia but will focus on France before heading to Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Many so-called “all-new” models aren’t all that new. In fact, a sizeable chunk are reskinned versions of what came before, with fresh sheetmetal over the same general hard points.

Ask Toyota — the world’s biggest carmaker — and two brands are enough.Yes, Toyota makes trucks under the Hino brand and also has the minnow Daihatsu in its stable, but it is essentially Toyota and Lexus and that’s it.Part of Toyota’s success in Australia is it sells a vehicle for everyone, and every occasion.Lexus rarely steps on its big brother’s toes, with a clear premium divide separating the two.Now Chinese behemoth, Geely, is gearing up for an assault on the Australian market.It has a strong toehold Down Under with Volvo and Polestar, but after that is where things get murky.It also has Lotus, Smart, Zeekr and its home brand Geely to forge ahead with in 2025.Volvo and Polestar have clearly positioned themselves in the luxury space, but Geely, Smart and Zeekr are chasing the same mainstream buyers.All three are electric only, and are launching with semi-premium compact and mid-size SUVs.They are essentially the same vehicle underneath a slightly different styled skin. But electric cars all have similar looks, honed for aerodynamics, which gives them all a same-same-ness despite a tweaked non-grille or headlight treatment.The brands all share motors, batteries and tech features, which helps amortise costs, but can be a challenge when attempting to stand out from the crowd.Geely recently merged two of its brands, Zeekr and Lynk and Co, to reduce internal competition.According to Reuters, Geely boss Gui Shengyue said the integration would make the company more competitive."If we don't integrate , we must face issues such as internal competition ... and redundant investments in many aspects such as R&D, sales, which is stupid," he said according to Reuters.Geely isn’t alone in crowding its own space.The huge Volkswagen Group has Volkswagen, Skoda and newcomer Cupra all lobbing cars in a similar price bracket.The big difference is only Cupra is new, the VW Group isn’t attempting to launch three new brands in the space of 12 months that sell effectively the same cars.It’ll be a challenge for these three Chinese brands to stand out.They also face a wave of competition following them across the sea. GAC, Aion, Xpeng, Skywell, Leapmotor and Deepal are all planning to launch or have launched into the same market space as their compatriots.Not to mention established brands such as BYD, Chery, GWM and MG already with a group of loyal buyers and brand cache.It is starting to feel like China’s car industry is replacing the building industry responsible for towering ghost towns as its biggest economic driver and they need to find export markets quickly to keep the production lines open and the steel mills firing.Australia is a prime target with its lack of tariffs and relatively close proximity to the Chinese mainland.There are storm clouds brewing on the edge of the Australia new car market, though.Electric cars still only make up about 8.3 per cent of new cars bought through the first 11 months of 2024. More EVs have found homes this year than last, but less than 10 per cent is still relatively niche.Private buyers — generally the ones snapping up EVs — are stepping away from new car purchases at an alarming rate.Double digit drops in private buyers in each of the past four months compared to the year before is a worrying trend according to the head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Tony Weber.“This is a disturbing trend which illustrates how cost of living pressures are impacting households,” he said.Only time will tell if these brands can make it work, but it’ll be a tough slog in 2025.