Automotive News Canada - April 2024 - 6

6
* APRIL 2024
TRENDING
STORIES
automotivenews.ca
ONGOING WEB COVERAGE
FHONDA EXPANSION?
Polestar is just
getting rolling
'We're going from
a one-car company
to a three-car company
in a very short amount
of time' and the brand
is adding sales outlets
By STEVE MERTL
VANCOUVER CORRESPONDENT
ELECTRIC-VEHICLE MAKER
Polestar is poised to rapidly expand
in Canada with more locations and
new products, said the country's
brand manager.
Polestar Canada has a sales outlet
in Toronto, one in Vancouver and
one in Montreal,
where it's headquartered.
By the
end of the year,
the aim is to add
second locations
in all three cities
and one in Quebec
City.
" And we're
Bissonnette:
As Polestar
expands its
vehicle lineup,
it also plans
to build its
Canadian
presence to 12
outlets from
the current
three.
PHOTO:
POLESTAR
looking at Ottawa
as well, " Hugues
Bissonnette told
Automotive News
Canada March 19
at the Vancouver
International
Auto Show.
" We're going
from a one-car
company to a
three-car company
in a very short
amount of time, so
we need the physical presence . . . to
be able to compete at the right level. "
Polestar aims to have up to 12
outlets across Canada, including in
Calgary and Halifax, Bissonnette
said.
Polestar started as an offshoot
of Volvo Cars, with vehicles sold
through the automaker's stores.
Polestar evolved into a separate
entity jointly owned by Volvo and
China's Geely Holding Group, which
acquired Volvo in 2010. Both support
Polestar's own research and development.
The
sole current vehicle offering
is the Polestar 2 sedan, with a price
starting at $57,600 including $2,650
shipping. The Polestar 3 SUV, which
starts at $95,700 including $2,500 shipping
($2,700 for some
trims), is due to be
launched in April.
They're all based on
Volvo platforms, but
the Polestar 4 SUV,
expected by fall, will
use fresh architecture,
Bissonnette said.
Polestar sold 2,370
vehicles in Canada
in 2023, according
to the Automotive
News Research &
SCAN
TO LISTEN
Data Center, which Bissonnette said
was triple that of 2022. He forecasts
growth of 50 per cent for 2024.
Bissonnette, a Montreal-born former
Volvo executive, discussed a
range of issues facing Polestar and
the industry.
The interview has been edited for
brevity and clarity.
POLESTAR FRANCHISES ITS STORES
RATHER THAN OWNING THEM AS
SOME EV MAKERS HAVE DONE. WHY?
The opportunity we had was
to handpick from the Volvo
retailers, which I had been working
with for the better part of
20 years. So the relationship
is excellent; the basics were
already in place. It was a turnkey
proposition for them and for
us. We have separate facilities,
separate service facilities. We're
completely independent from
that perspective.
HOW MANY POLESTAR PRODUCTS
ARE OR WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR
GOVERNMENT REBATES?
They all are for now, which
is Polestar 2. Polestar 3 won't be
eligible. Polestar 4 is still to be
defined; pricing is not finalized
Polestar Canada's only vehicle
on the market is the Polestar 2
sedan, but Country Manager
Hugues Bissonnette expects
to offer the Polestar 3 SUV in
April and the Polestar 4 SUV
in the fall. PHOTO: STEVE MERTL
yet, although we're in the process
of finalizing it as it's launching at
the New York auto show [March
29 to April, 7].
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT
QUEBEC'S PLAN TO PHASE OUT
REBATES?
The incentives were strongest
at the time we were launching
Polestar in Canada, so it really
helped us propel the brand to the
right levels, get the brand awareness
out there.
Now that they're talking about
reducing, everyone's
going to
be on the same
playing field. So
from our perspective,
it's not
necessarily a
matter of MSRP.
Some people are talking about
adjusting pricing.
We know where the sweet spot
is from a monthly-payment perspective.
As long as we meet consumer
demand and we remain
competitive, I don't see necessarily
the pricing adjustment to be
the first priority.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THE EV MARKET
IN TERMS OF GROWTH?
There's a [zero-emission vehicle
sales] mandate to get to 60
per cent by 2030. Is that a strong
goal? Yes. Last year, EV sales
in Canada or registrations were
right around 150,000 or just south
of that number, and IHS Markit
data forecasts 250,000 sales in
2024.
LACK OF CHARGING IS CITED AS
A BARRIER TO EV ACCEPTANCE. IS
POLESTAR INTERESTED IN DIRECTLY
EXPANDING CHARGING NETWORKS,
AS SOME EV MAKERS HAVE?
We are not. It's probably a
great idea, but we are in startup
mode, developing a new
brand, launching new products,
launching the full portfolio of
cars, expanding our [dealer] network
footprint. Once we get to
that maturity level, then perhaps
that's the right territory to venture.
- ANC
ederal and local governments continue to drop hints that Honda might be
planning an electric-vehicle assembly plant and potentially a battery plant
at or near its operations in Alliston, Ont.
TEV PRODUCTIONwo major assembly plants in the Greater Toronto Area - the Stellantis
plant in Brampton and the Ford plant in Oakville - are shutting down for
retooling to make electric vehicles. What happens in the meantime, especially
in Oakville where Ford is delaying EV production from 2025-2027?
$2.8B PLEDGED FOR AUTO MANUFACTURING
THE LATEST ONTARIO BUDGET INCLUDES MONEY TO FIGHT
auto theft and back more vehicle production in the province.
Premier Doug Ford's government pledged $2.8 billion over three
years, beginning in 2024-2025, for " strategic investments in industrial
support and land development, including Ontario's auto manufacturing
sector and electric-vehicle battery production. " Neither the
budget nor government provided more details on that funding. The
province also earmarked $49 million over three years to help stop
growing incidences of auto theft.
CUSTOMER TRAINING COULD SLOW DELIVERIES
TESLA INC. EMPLOYEES IN NORTH AMERICA ARE NOW
required to install and demonstrate the automaker's driver-assistance
technology to buyers before
handing over the vehicles. It's
PHOTO: TESLA
something CEO Elon Musk called
a " hard requirement " and said
it will slow deliveries, but " this is
very important. " Musk instructed
employees to perform a " short
test ride " with customers, including
those in Canada, to show
the system Tesla markets as Full
Self-Driving (FSD), according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg
News.
FINAL EDITION RUBICON COSTS $129,510
JEEP IS MARKING THE END
of Hemi V-8 engines in the
Jeep Wrangler with a six-figure
Rubicon 392 Final Edition.
Production will be limited to
3,300 for the United States,
300 for Canada and 100 for
the rest of the world. It will
cost $129,510 with shipping in
Canada.
PHOTO: JEEP
B.C.'s 'ELECTRIC HIGHWAY' GETS $30M
DRIVERS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA CAN
expect 500 more public charging stations to come online, adding
to more than 5,000 available across the province. A statement from
the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation said it's
providing $30 million from this year's budget to expand B.C.'s " electric
highway. "
PARTNERSHIP SIMPLIFIES EV CHARGING
CANADIAN OWNERS OF GENERAL
Motors electric vehicles no longer need to
tap, swipe or even open an app on their
smartphones to use a Flo EV fast charger.
The automaker and the Canadian charging
infrastructure manufacturer have partnered
on what the two are calling " Plug and
Charge capabilities. " It allows EV drivers to
simply plug in their vehicle, begin charging
and get billed without any other steps or
software needed. - ANC
PHOTO: FLO
FOR FULL TEXT OF THESE STORIES AND MORE
automotivenews.ca
http://www.automotivenews.ca http://www.automotivenews.ca
Automotive News Canada - April 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Canada - April 2024
