Polestar Chooses Montreal for its First North American Store
Polestar, the former Volvo performance division now operating as a standalone brand specialized in electric vehicles, has just announced that its first “Polestar Space” in the Americas will be located in Montreal.
This is the result of a partnership with Groupe Park Avenue, which already owns nearly 20 dealerships across Quebec, mainly premium brands.
The exact location has not been determined yet, but Polestar Montreal will open in 2020, followed by Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, as well as a strategically placed network of retailers south of the border.
When you think about the popularity of electric vehicles in Quebec versus other Canadian provinces and U.S. states, Polestar’s decision is easy to understand.
"Groupe Park Avenue is extremely proud to partner with Polestar,” said President and CEO Norman Hébert. We believe that after more than 60 years in business, this addition to our brand portfolio will excite our customers and help accelerate the shift towards electrification."
A marketing campaign began this past week at Complexe Desjardins.
Polestar Spaces will be found in high-traffic downtown locations with room for two or three vehicles. There will be two or three demonstrators on hand nearby and a few no-commission product specialists to answer questions from customers.
Polestar’s business model is based on a monthly subscription for 24 or 36 months with an all-inclusive fee covering vehicle usage, maintenance and repairs, as well as insurance and access to on-demand services.
So far, the company has shown the Polestar 1, a 600-horsepower hybrid sports car, and the Polestar 2, a fully electric five-door sedan with 400 horsepower and up to 500 kilometres of range that will directly take on the Tesla Model 3.
In related news, we’ve also learned that Quebec native Hugues Bissonnette, 45, has been named Country Manager for Polestar in Canada after working for many years at Volvo both here and in Europe.
“It is a privilege to lead a business in the fast growing electric vehicle market,” Bissonnette said. “I’m looking forward to implementing a new and unique brand, and the ability to do it at home in Canada is a dream come true. With an experienced team supporting me it is exciting to be at the beginning of the Polestar journey, designing products and services that will meet the highest demands of our unique clientele.”