The car that made Polestar is retiring, and its successor must deliver

Polestar’s growth from Volvo performance arm to standalone EV brand hasn’t always been smooth, particularly recently: it has burned through cash, is dealing with a sales slump in China and, due to its Chinese ownership, its cars have been barred from sale in the US.

But in just nine years it has still achieved remarkable growth and, in a crowded market, established a strong and easily identifiable brand – largely thanks to the seminal Polestar 2, which has bowed out of production after six years.