Polestar: owner, models, markets and what the name means
Facts checked United States status as of 4 September 2026
- Private
- Electric-native
- Hong Kong Stock Exchange 0175
- Nasdaq Stockholm VOLCAR B
- Nasdaq PSNY
- Nasdaq LOT
Polestar began as a Swedish racing and performance tuner associated with Volvo and became a standalone electric car brand in 2017. It is registered in the United Kingdom, run from Gothenburg, and listed on Nasdaq in New York under PSNY. Its cars are built in China, the United States and South Korea: the Polestar 3 at Volvo's Ridgeville plant in South Carolina and the Polestar 4 at Renault Korea's plant in Busan.
The ownership is split three ways inside the Geely orbit. At the end of 2025 PSD Investment Limited, Li Shufu's personal vehicle, held about 23.4%; Volvo Cars, through Snita Holding B.V., about 19.9%; and Geely Sweden Automotive Investment B.V. about 11.6%. Volvo Cars had held about 48% until 2024, when it distributed 62.7% of its Polestar shares to its own shareholders. Adding the pieces together, Polestar's 20-F attributes about 55.2% to Li Shufu as beneficial owner. In June 2026 loans from Geely and from Snita converted into further shares, raising both holdings.
On 25 June 2026 Polestar said the Bureau of Industry and Security at the US Department of Commerce had not granted it an authorisation under the connected vehicle rule to sell vehicles in the United States from model year 2027 onwards. Polestar said it will keep selling its existing stock of the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 there and will continue to support customers, including access to its service network.
Polestar operated in 28 markets at the end of 2025, with 211 sales points and access to 1,243 Volvo service points. Revenue was US$3,058.1 million and retail sales rose about 34% on 2024; headcount fell from 2,261 to 1,686 over the year.
No single holder controls it: Li Shufu is the beneficial owner of about 55.2% across PSD Investment, Volvo Cars' Snita Holding and Geely entities.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 极星 “JEE-shing” 'pole star'; 极 jí 'pole, extreme' + 星 xīng 'star' — a direct translation rather than a transliteration |
|---|---|
| Also written | Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC |
| Owner | Geely Holding |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Origin | Sweden |
| First car | Polestar 1, 2019 |
| Vehicles | Cars |
| Segment | Premium |
| United States | Sold in the United States — Polestar still sells in the United States but only from existing stock. On 25 June 2026 it said the Bureau of Industry and Security did not grant it an authorisation under the connected vehicle rule to sell vehicles from model year 2027 onwards; it will continue selling remaining Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 units and supporting customers through its service network. The Polestar 3 is built in South Carolina, which did not change the outcome. |
| Official site | www.polestar.com |
| Shareholders at 31 December 2025 | Li Shufu beneficially 55.2%; PSD Investment 23.4%; Volvo Cars via Snita 19.9%; Geely Sweden Automotive Investment 11.6% |
| 2025 revenue | US$3,058.1 million; retail sales up about 34% on 2024 |
| Markets and network | 28 markets, 211 sales points, access to 1,243 Volvo Cars service points at 31 December 2025 |
| Employees | 1,686 at the end of 2025, down from 2,261 a year earlier |
| US market | No authorisation under the connected vehicle rule for model year 2027 onwards, announced 25 June 2026 |
| Where the cars are built | China, the United States (Polestar 3, South Carolina) and South Korea (Polestar 4, Busan) |
Who owns Polestar?
Li Shufu owns Polestar at 55.2% since 2017.
Polestar's 2025 annual report attributes 79,981,976 shares, about 55.2%, to Li Shufu as beneficial owner. The total combines PSD Investment Limited, Snita Holding (Volvo Cars), Geely Sweden Automotive Investment B.V., Northpole GLY 1 LP and GLY New Mobility 1. LP, because voting and disposal decisions over all of them are ultimately his. Figures are as at 31 December 2025.
| Holder | What it is | Share | Since | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSD Investment Limited | holds a stake in | 23.4% | 2017 | PSD Investment Limited, controlled by Li Shufu personally, held 32,953,241 Class A ADSs and 996,419 Class B ADSs at 31 December 2025, about 23.4% of the shares outstanding. |
| Geely Holding | holds a stake in | 11.6% | 2017 | Geely Sweden Automotive Investment B.V., an affiliate of Geely Holding, held 16,738,542 Class A ADSs at 31 December 2025, about 11.6%. On 30 June 2026 about US$300 million of loan principal and interest owed to Geely Sweden Automotive Investment converted into a further 15,511,892 Class A ADSs, so the figure has since risen. |
| Volvo Cars | holds a stake in | 19.9% | 2017 | Volvo Cars holds its Polestar shares through Snita Holding B.V.: 28,827,431 Class A ADSs, about 19.9%, at 31 December 2025. Volvo Cars had held about 48% until it distributed 62.7% of its Polestar shareholding to its own shareholders in 2024. On 30 June 2026 about US$66 million owed to Snita converted into a further 3,864,300 Class A ADSs. |
The full ownership page for Polestar · Is Polestar Chinese?
Polestar models
| Model | Name in China | Body | Powertrain | Range | Price in China |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 极星2Polestar 2 | 极星2 (Jíxīng Èr) | Hatchback | Battery-electric | 658 km WLTP | not published |
| 极星3Polestar 3 | 极星3 (Jíxīng Sān) | SUV | Battery-electric | 647 km WLTP | not published |
| 极星4Polestar 4 | 极星4 (Jíxīng Sì) | Crossover | Battery-electric | 619 km WLTP | not published |
| 极星5Polestar 5 | Polestar 5 | Saloon | Battery-electric | 677 km WLTP | not published |
Where Polestar is sold
Recorded in 28 market s: United Arab Emirates, AT, Australia, BE, Canada, CH, CN, Germany, DK, Spain, FI, France, United Kingdom, HK, IE, Israel, IS, Italy, South Korea, KW, LU, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, PT, Sweden, SG and United States. Where a company publishes only its principal markets, that is a floor and not a complete list.
| Country | Code | Market page |
|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | AE | Chinese cars in the United Arab Emirates |
| Austria | AT | no page yet |
| Australia | AU | Chinese cars in Australia |
| Belgium | BE | no page yet |
| Canada | CA | Chinese cars in Canada |
| Switzerland | CH | no page yet |
| China | CN | no page yet |
| Germany | DE | Chinese cars in Germany |
| Denmark | DK | no page yet |
| Spain | ES | Chinese cars in Spain |
| Finland | FI | no page yet |
| France | FR | Chinese cars in France |
| United Kingdom | GB | Chinese cars in the United Kingdom |
| Hong Kong SAR China | HK | no page yet |
| Ireland | IE | no page yet |
| Israel | IL | Chinese cars in Israel |
| Iceland | IS | no page yet |
| Italy | IT | Chinese cars in Italy |
| South Korea | KR | Chinese cars in South Korea |
| Kuwait | KW | no page yet |
| Luxembourg | LU | no page yet |
| Netherlands | NL | Chinese cars in the Netherlands |
| Norway | NO | Chinese cars in Norway |
| New Zealand | NZ | Chinese cars in New Zealand |
| Portugal | PT | no page yet |
| Sweden | SE | Chinese cars in Sweden |
| Singapore | SG | no page yet |
| United States | US | Chinese cars in the United States |
Polestar: questions people ask
- Who owns Polestar?
- It has no single owner, but the ownership is Geely's. At the end of 2025 Li Shufu's PSD Investment held about 23.4%, Volvo Cars about 19.9% and a Geely company about 11.6%; Polestar's annual report attributes about 55.2% to Li Shufu as beneficial owner.
- Is Polestar Chinese or Swedish?
- Both, depending on what you measure. Polestar is registered in the UK, run from Gothenburg in Sweden and Swedish in engineering and design, while its ownership is Chinese through Geely and its cars are built in China, the United States and South Korea.
- Can you still buy a Polestar in the United States?
- Only from existing stock. Polestar said on 25 June 2026 that the US Department of Commerce had not authorised it under the connected vehicle rule for model year 2027 onwards, so it is selling remaining Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 cars and continuing to service cars already sold.
- Does Volvo own Polestar?
- Volvo Cars owns a fifth of it, about 19.9% at the end of 2025, held through Snita Holding B.V. It once held about 48% but distributed 62.7% of its Polestar shares to its own shareholders in 2024.
Related
Sources for Polestar
- Polestar (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission), Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC, Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2025. Read .
- Polestar (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission), Polestar press release of 25 June 2026 on the US connected vehicle rule (Exhibit 99.1 to Form 6-K). Read .
- Polestar (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission), Polestar Form 6-K, 1 July 2026: conversion of the Geely and Snita term facilities. Read .
- Polestar, Polestar market sitemap. Read . The 28 national sites Polestar publishes, matching the market count in the 20-F.