Polestar CEO Ingenlath: "The combustion engine lobby still doesn't give up"

The CEO of the Swedish-Chinese Geely brand Polestar has criticized the adherence to combustion technology in Germany and warned against continuing to sow doubts about electromobility. In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, he lamented that supposed "technological openness" was being used as an excuse to delay development. He also emphasized from his European-Chinese perspective that it was high time to recognize the dynamic and innovative momentum occurring in China. Manufacturers such as BYD had simply "done their technological homework" and were very well positioned. European engineering needs to rethink itself, and politics must set a consistent path, with companies clearly committing to e-mobility.

"Of course, electromobility is the future, and naturally, from there, it’s about continuing to reduce CO2 in production as well. Instead, we are still discussing the phase-out of the combustion engine. Germany is truly a very unique market in this regard," explained the Polestar CEO.

Germany is in a way "schizophrenic," on one hand worrying about the future, and on the other hand spreading doubts about e-mobility. In this context, he also criticized the ambivalence in statements by BMW CEO Oliver Zips, who recently called the 2035 phase-out of the combustion engine "reckless," even though BMW had recently showcased the "New Class" with great effort at the IAA. Nevertheless, BMW plans to offer various types of drives for the foreseeable future.

"I don’t understand this. It’s fatal for customers as well. I need to provide orientation. And give the people who buy a car for 70,000 euros the certainty that it’s the right technological decision. I really miss true leadership here," Ingenlath complained.

From his perspective, the pure battery capacity of an electric car is not what matters to customers; beyond a certain point, he found it questionable why so much range is needed. It’s more about charging speed and having enough available charging stations. Polestar, as a manufacturer, is not represented at the IAA Mobility in Munich, but does have a flagship store in downtown Munich, providing a presence at the trade fair location.