Polestar launches charging app

Gothenburg-headquartered EV pure play Polestar has partnered with German charging software firm Plugsurfing to launch its Polestar Charge public charging service in Europe.

The firm says its new service will give its drivers access to 650,000+ compatible EV charging points. Charge point operator (CPO) firms whose European infrastructure will be available include Tesla, Ionity, Shell Recharge, TotalEnergies, Fastned and Allego.

Polestar says it is the first OEM in Europe to integrate the Tesla supercharger network into its own charging app. The firm has already committed to adopting Tesla’s NACS charging standard for Polestar drivers in North America, while, in China, Polestar owners are able to access the supercharger network in over 200 cities.

But it cautions that Polestar Charge will only include supercharging stations accessible to non-Tesla EV drivers, rather than Tesla’s entire network.

Polestar Charge users will also have the choice of paying a €13.99 monthly subscription fee to unlock a 30pc discount on more than 28,000 charging points. The subscription service is available to Polestar drivers in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

“We know an important part of owning an electric car is being able to charge conveniently, says Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. “With access to the largest networks in Europe and smart integration in Google Maps, we have made it easy for Polestar drivers to enjoy life with an electric car rather than worrying about where they will find their next charge.”

Different approach

Polestar has been working alongside Plugsurfing since 2020. The EV inFocus view is that this is a clever way for an OEM to think about charging — let CPOs concentrate on their core competence on developing and maintaining charging stations, partner with an aggregating software provider, and have your brand on a useful tool for your customer, rather than get distracted by trying to develop a network of your own-label charging stations.

Interestingly, though, two fellow members of the Geely stable, Volvo Cars and Lotus, have instead chosen to go down the route of trying to develop their own charging point networks. They might be advised to instead follow Polestar’s approach.