Polestar is barred from the US market from 2027

One of the more striking EV stories of the summer is about politics, not products. Polestar has confirmed that US authorities will not authorise it to sell 2027 model-year vehicles, citing the Connected Vehicle Rule, which restricts cars with hardware or software tied to Chinese or Russian ownership. Polestar is owned by China's Geely.

Same parent, different outcome

The most revealing detail is the contrast with Volvo. Both Polestar and Volvo sit under Geely, yet Volvo secured authorisation for its 2027 line-up after discussions with US officials about its governance, technology and data-security arrangements. Polestar did not. The rule, in practice, is being applied brand by brand rather than owner by owner.

• The Connected Vehicle Rule restricts connected-car hardware and software linked to China or Russia.
• Polestar will not be able to sell 2027 model-year cars in the US.
• Volvo, also Geely-owned, was granted authorisation for its 2027 range.

What it signals

For the wider industry, this is a reminder that an EV's software supply chain and ownership structure are now part of whether it can be sold at all in some markets, alongside range and price. Expect more automakers to separate data handling, cloud services and connectivity by region to keep market access open.