Polestar 2 output ends in Luqiao after 200,000 units

Production of the Polestar 2 has ended at the Luqiao plant in China after roughly 200,000 units built there since March 2020, according to media reports. Polestar has not officially confirmed the end of production, but the company is already directing customers in several European markets toward stock vehicles instead of accepting new configurable orders.

The fastback was the brand's volume backbone. Polestar last reported more than 190,000 units sold globally, with Norway the standout market at more than 16,000 cars. Polestar Norge recently described the model as decisive for the brand's strong market entry.

The car's roots reach back to Volvo. In 2016, Volvo unveiled the 40.1 and 40.2 concept studies; the 40.1 became the XC40, the 40.2 evolved into the Polestar 2. Its most significant technical update came in 2024, when Polestar switched key variants from front- to rear-wheel drive and comprehensively revised the powertrain (the drivetrain system delivering power to the wheels).

What fills the gap until 2027?

A fundamentally new successor is expected in early 2027, and Polestar has said it will not be a mere facelift. Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 Broom reports it will be a crossover. Polestar has not confirmed body style, platform, or production location.

In Norway and Sweden, buyers can no longer configure new cars and are being routed to stock inventory. One of the brand's most important models is therefore being phased out before its replacement is available — a gap of roughly a year.

The timing is awkward. In the first half of 2026, global sales rose only 0.4 per cent to 30,423 vehicles, while revenue fell about four per cent to 1.36 billion US dollars. Polestar did significantly reduce its operating loss in the same period.

For the full year, the company cut its growth forecast from low double-digit to low-to-mid single-digit percentage growth. Polestar cited the Polestar 2's lifecycle phase-out and changes in its US business as reasons.

Why Europe now carries the risk

From model year 2027, the Connected Vehicle Rule (a US regulation covering connected-vehicle data and software) bars Polestar from selling new vehicles in the US. Around 80 per cent of sales now come from Europe, making the continent critical for the next generation.

The year started well: 13,126 vehicles sold in the first quarter gave the brand its best Q1 to date. As the year progressed, the Polestar 2 model change and the US restructuring slowed growth.

The Polestar 4 SUV, launched in September 2026, is already in production in Busan, South Korea, with manufacturing having commenced in the second quarter. Orders are open, but European deliveries are not scheduled until the fourth quarter of 2026 — and the German configurator shows a delivery window of January to February 2027.

What does this change for Polestar's positioning? The Luqiao shutdown is more than a routine model change. The Polestar 2 was the foundation of the brand and, for years, its most important volume model. Its successor must impress technically, fill the gap during the transition, and anchor a portfolio that is shifting decisively toward Europe while US access closes.

What to watch next: official confirmation of the successor's body style and production site, the Q4 2026 start of Polestar 4 European deliveries, and whether the early-2027 launch window holds as the Polestar 2 sell-down continues.