Polestar said on Thursday it would not sell its cars from traditional dealerships in North America.
Instead, the Swedish offshoot of Volvo said it will operate franchised "galleries" called Polestar Spaces.
The galleries will be located in city centers. Trained product experts–not salespeople on commission–will provide all the information a buyer (or subscriber) may need.
Polestar Spaces will be complemented by a website that will allow shoppers to configure and order a Polestar online–and to buy or subscribe.
"They can choose our innovative subscription model that enables them to have all their motoring costs covered by one single monthly payment," Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar, said.
Polestar 1 in New York
Motor Authority spoke with a Polestar spokesperson who clarified the Polestar Spaces will not be operated by Volvo nor by Polestar. They will be entirely independent and operated by third parties. As for customers who may not have a Polestar Space near them, select Volvo dealerships will be capable of working on, selling, and supporting Polestar vehicles. The spokesperson highlighted the fact only certain Volvo dealers will be granted this permission.
The brand didn't share where exactly the first Polestar Spaces will open, but stores will open in major U.S. cities "as demand requires them," Ingenlath added.
Polestar 1 in New York
Polestar's first car will be the 1, a hybrid sport coupe with 600 horsepower and a carbon-fiber body. The brand has said it will build performance-oriented battery-electric cars after the Polestar 1. The second Polestar car, the Polestar 2, will directly challenge the Tesla Model 3. The 1 will be the brand's only vehicle to feature an internal-combustion engine.
Polestar will build the 1 hybrid in China from mid-2019. Pre-orders for the 1 have already opened with $2,500 deposits required. The brand plans to debut the Polestar 2 in early 2019 and expects to build the 2 starting in 2020.