Polestar just recorded its strongest third quarter ever. That’s great news for the electric automaker, but the awkward part is where the growth came from: the country that has effectively barred it from selling cars.

The EV maker’s worldwide sales edged up 1% year over year in Q3, but remove the United States, and they fell 8%. America is helping Polestar keep its numbers positive as the company prepares for a future without access to it.

Third-quarter deliveries reached an estimated 14,371 vehicles, up from 14,222 a year earlier. Outside the U.S., volume fell to 12,211 from 13,256. Subtracting those figures, American sales came to 2,160 vehicles, up from 966—an increase of about 124%. Those additional 1,194 deliveries more than offset the 1,045-car decline elsewhere.

Global sales in the first nine months of 2026 reached a record 44,790, up 0.6% from 44,511. Excluding America, they fell 0.5% to 40,773 from 40,968. That implies U.S. sales of 4,017 versus 3,543, up around 13%.

In June, Polestar was shut out of selling cars in the United States under a new Department of Commerce rule prohibiting certain Chinese connectivity and driver-assistance technology. While Volvo, which also falls under the Geely Group umbrella, was granted an exemption, Polestar's effort to get around the ban was denied.

In the wake of the decision, Polestar deeply discounted its cars to clear out inventory. Polestar 4 discounts reached $25,000 . There were great deals to be had on Polestar 3s too. S. So this was more of a sugar high than a sign of sustainable growth for Polestar, which posted around $1 billion in operating losses in 2025 despite record sales of 60,119 cars.

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