Polestar posts its best third quarter ever, but the growth comes from the US, the country that just banned it

Polestar has announced the best third quarter in its history: an estimated 14,371 cars sold between July and September, up from 14,222 a year earlier. Over the first nine months, the total reached 44,790, a record for the Geely-owned Swedish brand. The 2026 figures are estimates and may be revised.

Headlines talk about sales "booming," but growth is only 1%, and it comes from an unusual place.

The US, the market that banned it

Excluding the United States, Polestar's sales fell 8% in Q3, from 13,256 to 12,211 cars. The difference comes from the US, where Polestar sold about 2,160 cars, more than double last year's 966, according to InsideEVs' calculations.

The reason: in June, the US Department of Commerce banned sales of cars with certain Chinese connectivity and driver-assistance technology. Volvo, also part of the Geely group, got an exemption, but Polestar didn't, even though the Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90 are built on the same South Carolina line. Polestar then cleared out its inventory with deep discounts, up to $25,000 on the Polestar 4.

What's next

Polestar will keep selling its remaining US stock and keep servicing cars there, but it can't bring in new ones. Further growth has to come from Europe and Asia, and from new models:

• Polestar 5, the electric grand tourer, has started customer deliveries
• Polestar 4 SUV, a more practical body with more space and a rear window, ships from the fourth quarter
• a Polestar 2 successor arrives in 2027, followed by the compact Polestar 7 SUV, built in Europe, in 2028

The brand posted record sales of 60,119 cars last year, but an operating loss of around $1 billion. Its bigger sibling Volvo sold fewer cars in Q3, but 51% more EVs in Europe.