Polestar: PHEVs are the “worst of both worlds”

Polestar Australia has taken a hard stance against plug-in hybrids, labelling them the “worst of both worlds” and ruling out any shift away from its EV-only strategy, even as PHEV sales surge in Australia.

Speaking to carsales this week, local managing director Scott Maynard has dismissed plug-in hybrids as an engineering compromise the brand has no interest in pursuing.

“PHEV is the worst of both worlds,” he said.

“It has all the complexity of a petrol engine with the added engineering of an electric drivetrain as well.

“It doesn't make sense to do that in a brand that prides itself on being dynamic, performance orientated, and with that strong sustainability message that we hold dear.”

The comments come as PHEVs experience explosive growth locally. In January this year, sales jumped more than 170 per cent compared with the same month in 2025, pushing the technology to account for almost six per cent of the overall new-car market.

By comparison, battery-electric vehicles accounted for just over eight per cent.

Fast growing electrified brands such as BYD and Geely offer plug-in hybrid options alongside their EV line-ups, positioning the technology as a stepping stone for buyers not yet ready to go fully electric.

For Polestar, however, that middle ground is precisely the problem.

“It just wouldn’t sit with the ethos of the brand to then build something that has a petrol engine in it,” Maynard said.

Polestar has consistently positioned itself as a performance-focused, premium EV brand with ambitious carbon-reduction targets across its supply chain.

“We are working towards carbon-neutral product. That’s central to what we do.”

While PHEVs promise electric-only commuting backed by petrol range security, arguments against the technology assert they add weight and mechanical complexity – and depending on the system, can deliver disappointing real-world emissions outcomes if rarely plugged in.

In contrast, that hasn’t stopped brands including GWM, Mazda and BMW from spruiking the technology as the “best of both worlds” across their websites.

For Polestar, however, the position is the opposite: no petrol engine, no compromise.

Rather than pivoting to hybrids, Polestar says its focus remains firmly on expanding its battery-electric-only line-up.

The recently launched Polestar 5 is the latest step in that push, forming part of a broader four-model rollout over the next three years.

Alongside the 5, a wagon-style Polestar 4 is due later this year, followed by a second-generation Polestar 2 in early 2027 and the all-new Polestar 7 compact SUV in 2028.

The 7, in particular, is viewed as critical to the brand’s future in Australia’s largest segment, with Polestar confident it will broaden the brand’s appeal and ultimately overtake the 2 as its top-selling local model.

For Polestar, the direction is clear: expand the EV portfolio, move into high-volume segments – and do it without adding a petrol engine.

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