Which car brands stand to gain from EV automaker Polestar’s U.S. exit?

Polestar occupied a fairly distinct space in the U.S. auto market – a premium, design-led electric vehicle brand with Swedish roots, Volvo associations and significant Chinese ownership, primarily through Geely.

However, starting from model year 2027, the EV brand will no longer be able to sell new vehicles in the U.S. under the federal Connected Vehicle Rule, which restricts certain connected vehicle technology linked to China and Russia. Existing inventory can still be sold.

So, when Polestar exits the new-car market in the U.S., which automakers are best placed to benefit?

Brand performance analysis: Polestar trails the wider sector on key brand metrics

Before looking at where Polestar considerers may go next, it is worth sizing the brand’s position in the U.S. market. YouGov BrandIndex data suggests Polestar had not yet matched the wider car maker sector on key brand health measures among Americans. Among Americans aware of the brands they are rating, Polestar’s Quality score stands at 12.3, compared with 22.0 for the auto manufacturer sector average.

Its Value score is almost flat at 0.2 versus 8.3 for the sector. Consideration is also lower, with 7.1% of Americans aware of Polestar saying they would consider it, compared with 12.8% for the average automaker.

That suggests Polestar’s U.S. exit may not create a large mass-market opening. But with its clear EV positioning, the audience it does leave behind could be a distinctive one.

Which auto brands could stand to gain from Polestar’s market exit?

Among Americans who consider Polestar, the competitive set looks very different from the national market.

Toyota leads among Polestar considerers, with 63.0% saying they would consider the brand. That compares with 40.8% among U.S. adults overall. Honda follows at 58.6%, nearly double its 29.5% score in the wider adult population. Hyundai ranks third among Polestar considerers at 51.5%, compared with 15.5% nationally.

Several of the strongest over-indexing brands sit in the value-to-mainstream space. Kia is considered by 46.3% of Polestar considerers, compared with 15.4% of U.S. adults overall. Subaru posts a similar pattern, at 48.0% among Polestar considerers versus 19.8% nationally. Nissan, Chevrolet and Ford also appear in the top 15, though their relative lift is less dramatic than some other brands in the list.

Premium and EV-adjacent brands may also see an opening

The data also points to a clear premium and EV-adjacent opportunity. Lexus is considered by 45.5% of Polestar considerers, compared with 11.2% of all U.S. adults. Acura’s gap is even wider: 44.9% versus 6.9%. Volvo, perhaps the most natural brand association given its historic links to Polestar, is considered by 44.5% of Polestar considerers but only 7.2% of the public overall.

Audi also stands out, with Consideration of 43.6% among Polestar considerers against 7.9% nationally. Lucid, while a niche brand in the broader U.S. market, records one of the most striking gaps: 40.8% of Polestar considerers say they would consider Lucid, compared with just 1.4% of U.S. adults overall.

The difference in ranking position also adds to the picture. While Ford and Chevrolet remain relevant among Polestar considerers, but they sit lower in this audience than they do nationally. Ford ranks 14th among Polestar considerers compared with third among all U.S. adults, while Chevrolet ranks 11th versus fourth nationally. Lucid is the most striking difference, coming in at 13th among Polestar considerers versus 34th overall.

Premium and EV-adjacent brands move in the other direction. Lexus ranks sixth among Polestar considerers versus 11th nationally; Acura ranks seventh but sits outside the national top 15. Volvo moves from 20th nationally to ninth among Polestar considerers, while Audi rises from 18th to 10th.

Methodology: YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Consideration score for car makers is based on the percentage of people who say they would consider purchasing from the brand when they are next in the market. Data is weighted using a propensity scoring methodology with targets from the American Community Survey (ACS) to ensure representation by age, gender, race, education, and region. The scores are based on a six-month average, with the observation period for this analysis being from July 08, 2025 to July 07, 2026.