Those ubiquitous white Teslas that you literally cannot go outside without seeing on the streets of Vancouver are about to get a run for their money with the opening of Polestar’s new showroom on Burrard Street.

The Swedish premium electric vehicle company, which was purchased by Volvo in 2015, has set up shop at 2211 Burrard in a swish space with clean lines and high ceilings. Elegant but not showy, it seems to be the perfect space in which to let the cars do the talking.

It also shows Polestar’s intent on wooing the Vancouver market, which together with Toronto and Montreal makes up 90 per cent of the EV industry in Canada. 

“This is a market for us in Canada, and in North America, that is a vital point in our expansion plan,” says Hugues Bissonnette, head of Polestar Canada, via phone. “BC is more or less 25 per cent of EV registrations in the country, so we need to be present in this market. And this is just the first attempt. We have bigger plans for Vancouver to cover the Greater Vancouver Area, but now at least we have a full-service facility and proper footprint to showcase our state-of-the-art products.”

With over 120,000 EVs currently on the road across BC, and BC Hydro estimating that number to balloon to between 700,000 and 900,000 in the next decade, it certainly feels like electric is where the world is going. And Polestar has long been leading the charge.

“Technology, design, innovation, and sustainability,” says Bissonnette. “These are the core pillars that we builtdthe products and our brand on.”

The new showroom will allow curious customers to speak with experts, view the vehicles, and, crucially, take them for a test drive to see just how smooth and savvy they are. Included in the space is Polestar’s new SUV, called the Polestar 3, which is currently available for preorder with an estimated arrival date (and home delivery!) of mid-2024.

Polestar 3 is making its official Canadian debut at Fully Charged LIVE Canada this weekend; the electric energy extravaganza is taking place from September 8 to 10 at the Vancouver Convention Centre (and the code THESTRAIGHT gets you 25 per cent off your ticket). Also on display at Fully Charged LIVE will be the Candela C-8: an electric hydrofoil boat birthed from a special Polestar and Candela partnership.

For his part, Bissonnette is thrilled that Polestar is finally making a big bet on Vancouver.

“It’s been a long time in the works,” he says, “and we’re very pleased to say that this is now our permanent home.”