The US's 25 percent tariff on all imported cars is now causing Polestar to permanently withdraw the Polestar 2 model from the American model program.
The Polestar 2 is now permanently withdrawn from the US market.
The introduction of a significant import tax on electric cars made in China has led Polestar to stop selling the Polestar 2 in the US.
The car is no longer available on the automaker's American website. However, management in the US has not provided any explanation for the 'disappearing number'. Or for that matter, commented on the customs.
However, Polestar has previously been furious that the brand's cars are actually about to be completely banned in the US. Read more about it here .
The primary reason for the car brand's decision is probably a new US tariff of 112 percent imposed on electric cars produced in China.
The tax affects a number of car brands, including Polestar and Volvo, which are both Chinese-owned and manufacture several of their car models in China.
The Polestar 2 is one of the models subject to the high tariff, as it is produced in China.
Although the tariffs have been known for some time, until recently it was still possible to order a Polestar 2 in the US. That is now no longer the case.
The Polestar 2's disappearance from the US market is not an isolated incident. In Canada, the brand has also stopped imports.
This happened after Canada imposed a similar 100 percent tariff on Chinese-made electric cars.
Initiatives like this show how trade barriers directly influence what drivers can/cannot buy.
Although the Polestar 2 is disappearing, Polestar is not leaving the North American market entirely. American customers will still have the option to purchase other models from the brand.
The Polestar 3 is produced locally in South Carolina in the USA, while the Polestar 4 is manufactured in Busan in South Korea.
Since those models are not produced in China, they are not affected by the more than 100 percent higher tariff. Volvo's sister brand, on the other hand, is far from alone in recalling cars in one way or another.
For example, Volvo moved production of its EX30 model from China to the factory in Ghent, Belgium, to avoid similar import duties in other markets, such as Europe.
The withdrawal of the Polestar 2 from the US underscores the consequences of current US trade policies for the automotive industry globally.
It is not inconceivable that more car brands that do not build cars in the US will follow suit. Ferrari, for example, still imports cars to the US. But the bill for the tariff wall has been passed directly on to customers.
