POLESTAR has been riding high on sales numbers in Australia, driven by an expanded retail presence in partnership with existing Volvo dealers and the arrival of new models, but the brand’s local leadership does not expect the “rampant” growth enjoyed in 2025 to be repeated this year.
In 2025, Polestar grew its Australian sales volume by 38.5 per cent, increasing sales from 1713 units at the end of 2024 to 2373 units at the end of 2025.
Much of this volume growth came from the Polestar 4 and Polestar 3 SUV pair that went on sale in late 2024, but with a gap now opening between the arrival of fresh metal (including the recently updated Polestar 2) and local launches for the Polestar 5 flagship and entry-level Polestar 7, a stabilisation is anticipated in 2026.
Polestar Australia managing director Scott Maynard said that although the company does expect to continue growing this year, “we don’t expect to show the kind of rampant growth that we saw when we introduced two new products (and) pulled on a whole network of retailers”.
“That really important work is done. We’ve still got a couple of retail sites to start up, so we’ll see a bit of incremental out of that, and we hope to bring news of a couple of little product enhancements and a few little bits and pieces that we can do to keep 2026 interesting.
“I’m still confident that we’re going to be in the right spot, but our expectations are a little bit more realistic for 2026.”
Mr Maynard said the arrival of the niche Polestar 5 will bolster sales to a degree when it arrives in the second half of this year, forecasting that it – and a considerable list of new models from other brands – will increase battery electric vehicle market share on the whole.
“With the number of new arrivals, the expanded choice of electric vehicles (and) the new segments that EVs are finding their way into, we should expect that the share of EVs in the Australian market will continue to grow,” he added.
“Yes, it is under threat from some of the reviews that are currently taking place in Canberra and in Treasury around the Fringe Benefits Tax that’s afforded to electric vehicles (and) we’re watching with interest to see what happens there.
“But I think that we can be confident that as it continues to become more popular among buyers, and as the choice continues to increase, it will continue to grow, and I’d love to see it logging on the high side of double-digit growth again in 2026.”
Mr Maynard said Polestar was unlikely to offer extensive discounting to inflate model sales, insisting that as a premium brand it was keen to maintain what he calls a “luxury, performance orientated” profile.
“(While) it is really great to see that there’s a broader choice and that there’s a lower entry point for electric vehicles … we operate in that premium space at the high end of the market. So, for us, it’s more about ensuring that we can demonstrate value,” he explained.
“We don’t feel compelled to descend into that volume segment that’s governed more sharply by price.
“We’d prefer to maintain realistic expectations of volume and continue to speak to a smaller audience with a product that’s more luxury, performance-oriented.”
Visit GoAuto again soon to read our Australian launch review of the 2026 Polestar 2 range.