Electric vehicle maker to open showroom in prominent new development

TAMPA — A Polestar showroom is coming to the Midtown Tampa mixed-use development in the second quarter of 2022 and will have three fully electric vehicles on display.

Partly owned by Volvo and headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, Polestar was founded in 2017 and builds cars that run solely on electricity. Polestar Midtown Tampa will be owned and operated by Danny O’Malley, a Tampa businessman who owns a local Volvo dealership, according to a statement. The showroom will occupy a 2,500-square-foot space across from Sephora and behind Ponte Tampa.

“With Midtown Tampa’s central location and high quality of tenants, it’s easily the best location in Tampa Bay,” O’Malley states in a news release. “Our customer base will appreciate the destination and all it has to offer as they design their perfect Polestar vehicle in our new space.”

In addition to offering only electric vehicles, Polestar has a sales process that breaks from industry norms, the release states. Sales are handled online and are completely tailored to individual preferences. Vehicles are delivered about two weeks after financing is secured.

“It’s exciting to welcome a local entrepreneur bringing a regional flagship destination for such a forward-thinking and technologically advanced brand,” states Nicholas Haines, CEO of Bromley Cos., the developer of Midtown Tampa, in the release. “Polestar’s focus on sustainability fits perfectly at Midtown Tampa, where Polestar vehicles can be plugged in to our existing electric charging stations.”

Polestar vehicles range in price from $49,000 to $156,000. Two models are available, but the company intends to launch one new model per year over the next three years, including a fully electric performance SUV in 2022.

“Electric cars, especially the caliber of Polestar, are coming very quickly to the market and sales are continuing to grow,” O’Malley states in the release.