Polestar 2 sales open; money back guarantee within 7 days, 500km
Polestar buyers in Australia will be able to hand their car back within seven days and get a full refund if they’re not happy with it and have travelled less than 500km.
The EV industry-leading money back guarantee is the latest tempter for the Volvo-owned brand that is taking on Tesla head-on with its new 2 electric car.
The Polestar Customer Satisfaction Guarantee is designed to reassure those considering the new brand that is already kicking goals in Europe, America and parts of Asia and is planning a family of electric cars over coming years.
“A new vehicle is often the second-largest purchase a person will make after a home, so it’s important to not only recognise that, but to also stand behind our vehicles – and our customers – with a guarantee that provides the peace-of-mind and confidence in the direct-to-consumer model,” says Polestar Australia Managing Director, Samantha Johnson.
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First deliveries of the Polestar 2 start within weeks as the Swedish newcomer that manufactures its cars in China looks to muscle in on a fast growing EV market.
“There is incredible interest in electric vehicles in Australia, with sales increasing by more than 190 percent year-on-year in 2021,” says Johnson.
“We’re thrilled that the Polestar 2 is now here to help meet that demand.”
Helping Polestar’s case is increasing waiting lists on its prime rival, the Tesla Model 3.
Tesla this week increased the estimated wait for the Model 3 from 14-20 weeks to 5-7 months, or up to 30 weeks.
It’s the longest Australian buyers have been asked to wait for the Model 3, which dominates sales of EVs locally.
The Polestar 2 is priced from $59,900 before on-road costs, identical to the opening price of the Model 3 – although once drive-away costs are added the electric car newcomer is a couple of hundred dollars cheaper. Polestar also throws in servicing for the first five years or 100,000km.
Polestar says almost 300 people have placed orders on the 2 as it readies first deliveries.
The Polestar 2 is available as a single motor front-wheel drive for $59,900 plus on-roads, or another $5000 for a bigger battery that extends the WLTP range from 440km to 540km.
A more powerful dual motor version using the larger battery starts at $69,900.
Various option packs can add thousands more to the price of each.
The AU manager understands well the challenge perfectly the challenge of selling an unknown brand, a very high priced item and online.
But irreparable cracks in the business model have recently appeared.
Last Saturday keen eyed P* can noticed that the very special pixel lights and several other features suddenly disappeared from the $5000 Pilot Pack, but the price remained the same.
Those who had placed orders were left in limbo, and come Monday it was clear that the AU team had no prior knowledge or plan for this. The rug had been pulled under them by faceless head office. It wasn’t just AU, but also UK and EU offices.
It wasn’t until Friday we find that some orders will be honoured, and new orders will be not, and some who placed orders will not know for a few weeks, is after the cooling off period has lapsed. And there will be a $1400 price reduction for the missing key features.
That is of course if you live in North America, where the specially dimming pixel headlights are not yet legal. You in the USA will still get them.
What that discrimination means is that those in the USA that have yet to place an order will get the full pack, here some who placed deposits and signed a contract that will not be honoured in full. And the Australian management were left in the dark and left powerless to stop such offensive discrimination.
It doesn’t matter how tustworthy I find the AU team, they are clearly not in charge and not respected by the International head Office, who really pull the strings. And we clearly can’t trust them.
So Ms Johnson, I think the battle is already lost.