The Polestar brand, Volvo’s electric vehicles manufactured in China, began its landing in Spain yesterday in Barcelona with the opening of its first point of sale, at number 84 Passeig de Gràcia, with a complete declaration of intentions to dispute the leadership the American Tesla. Polestar is a subsidiary of Volvo, which in turn is owned by China’s Geely. Endowed with Swedish design and technology, they are manufactured in China, although there are plans to also produce in the United States.
The new point of sale, named Polestar Space, occupies more than 200 square meters and opens in association with the Catalan company Ronda 15, chaired by José Luis Porté, who also chairs the Meroil oil product distribution group. Ronda 15 currently has three Volvo dealerships in Barcelona and Cornellà, to which is now added the Polestar dealership on Passeig de Gràcia. With some 1,000 cars sold each year, its turnover is close to 40 million euros.
After the opening in Barcelona, ??the Chinese-Swedish brand plans to open a similar space in Madrid shortly to consolidate its position in the first two car markets in Spain.
Polestar orders are made digitally, through the web, but the sale itself is carried out in a traditional way. “Our business model is physical, a mix of digital and physical experience. Although we are a digital brand, it is essential to offer our customers the opportunity to experience our Polestar 2”, said Sthéphane Le Guével, CEO of Polestar Iberia. “With this collaboration, Ronda 15 has an impact on its commitment to be a relevant player in achieving a more sustainable world”, said Jaime Banús Giró, manager of Ronda 15.
For his part, José Luis Porté, said that “we are not absolutely certain of where our consumption patterns and our industrial models will evolve in the search for efficient solutions for their long-term sustainability, but today, in any case, we celebrate having of one more piece to elucidate that puzzle”.
The model ?Polestar 2, which is sold from about 47,000 euros, is presented as the first competitor for the Tesla Model 3, which is the leader in the electric market. To finance its growth, the company has just debuted on the Nasdaq, with a value of more than 19,000 million euros.
