The Polestar 6 electric roadster, 95% engineered, faces a 100% import tariff in the U.S. This would push its expected $200,000 price tag into the ultra-luxury stratosphere, making it one of the world's most expensive vehicles, according to Robb Report. The financial impact effectively renders a nearly finished halo car commercially unviable for a key market.
Despite its advanced development, the Polestar 6's intended Chinese production location makes it commercially unviable for the critical U.S. market due to these tariffs. The Polestar 5 sedan, also built in China, currently starts at $140,000 and would similarly double in price with a 100-percent tariff, effectively pricing Polestar's high-end Chinese-made EVs out of the U.S. luxury segment, Robb Report states.
Therefore, Polestar is likely to either delay the Polestar 6's U.S. launch indefinitely, seek alternative production sites, or pivot resources to more commercially viable models, effectively sidelining a nearly finished halo product.
The Road to Readiness: Polestar 6's Advanced Engineering
Engineering on the Polestar 6 electric roadster is 95% complete, requiring only finalization for its folding hardtop and rear seats, according to Autoua and Carscoops. The vehicle's near-total readiness represents a significant investment, yet the vehicle's market viability is now dictated by external economic factors rather than its technical prowess.
Tariffs Force a Strategic Re-evaluation
Polestar is now prioritizing the delivery of more accessible models to the U.S. market, specifically the Polestar 7 and the next-generation Polestar 2, Robb Report confirms. The strategic shift decisively moves focus away from high-end, tariff-vulnerable vehicles. Companies like Polestar, caught in the crossfire of trade wars, are being forced to make difficult choices. They must either absorb prohibitive tariffs, relocate manufacturing at immense cost, or abandon significant R&D investments in products like the Polestar 6 for key markets.
