Polestar launched the Polestar 4 in China on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 17, 2023, and dropped the price significantly in November before deliveries began.

(Polestar 4. Image credit: Polestar)

Polestar, the premium electric vehicle (EV) maker owned by Geely and Volvo Cars, has begun deliveries of its SUV model, the Polestar 4, in China, slightly delayed from the originally planned December date.

Volume deliveries of the Polestar 4 in China have begun, with Polestar hosting delivery ceremonies in six cities starting January 13, according to a Weibo post on the evening of January 11.

Polestar will deliver the model at 43 Polestar Spaces located in 21 cities across China, and test cars are already available at the stores, it said.

The EV maker launched the Polestar 4 in China on the first day of the Shanghai auto show on April 17, 2023, when the starting price range was between RMB 349,800 ($48,830) and RMB 533,800 yuan.

The price range was significantly higher than that of the Tesla Model Y, one of the best-selling electric SUVs in China. The Tesla model was then offered in three versions priced at RMB 261,900, RMB 311,900, and RMB 361,900, respectively.

Earlier today, Tesla lowered the prices of almost the entire Model 3 and Model Y lineup in China, with the Model Y's latest starting price at RMB 258,900.

On November 16, 2023, Polestar lowered the model's starting price to RMB 299,900 by stripping out the benefit packages that were originally included in the Polestar 4's price.

This approach is similar to Nio's (NYSE: NIO) strategy in June 2023, when the company removed the free battery swap entitlement, thereby lowering the price of the entire model range by RMB 30,000.

The Polestar 4 is currently offered in four versions in China, with the remaining three starting at RMB 339,900, RMB 369,900, and RMB 399,900 respectively.

($1 = RMB 7.1638)

Polestar cuts Polestar 4 starting price in China by 14% before deliveries begin