New Jersey Dealer’s Lawsuit Challenges Polestar Narrative
When the Trump administration declined to grant Polestar an exemption to the Connected Vehicle Rule, the Sweden-based EV manufacturer and its 32 U.S. dealers appeared to be victims of national security policy. Polestar is majority-owned by Geely Holdings of Hangzou, China.
Autoblog’s Jacob Oliva says a lawsuit filed by a New Jersey dealer group makes that narrative “a lot messier,” alleging the factory purposely failed to follow the same steps as Geely stablemate Volvo, which successfully lobbied for an exemption.
“According to the lawsuit, Polestar had been plotting its U.S. exit for about two years, and the government ban just gave it the perfect excuse to pull the plug,” Oliva writes.
The plaintiff, Prestige Imports of East Hanover, N.J., claims Polestar violated state franchise laws by intentionally withdrawing from the U.S. market, using the Connected Vehicle Rule as cover. The suit was filed in a Bergen County Superior Court and seeks at least $25 million in damages.
