Polestar introduces battery condition certificates for used electric cars. What are they?

Polestar, owned by Geely Holding and Volvo Cars, has introduced state-of-health (SOH) certificates for used Polestar 2 cars. These documents will give buyers a clear picture of the condition of the energy storage device, its remaining capacity and expected service life.

Here's What We Know

The SOH certificates will form part of an extended certification programme as part of the Polestar Pre-owned initiative. During the programme, each pre-owned vehicle undergoes a 112-point technical check at official service centres before being re-sold. In addition to battery condition information, buyers will receive verified mileage, service and ownership history.

In addition, used Polestar 2s will receive:

• 24-month vehicle warranty
• a battery warranty valid until the end of 8 years from the date of manufacture or 160,000 kilometres, whichever comes first.

The company emphasises that if the remaining battery capacity falls below 70% in the first eight years, the battery will be replaced free of charge.

On top of all of the above, all certified Polestar 2s will continue to receive over-the-air (OTA) software updates. These updates can sometimes even increase range thanks to optimised battery management algorithms.

Polestar becomes one of the first brands to offer official battery condition documents for used cars. Volvo and AVL have previously announced plans to introduce so-called 'battery passports' containing information on the origin of materials, carbon footprint and fate of recycled components. However, these measures will only become mandatory in the EU from February 2027.

In the meantime, Polestar's initiative exemplifies a proactive approach to transparency and safeguards for buyers now.

Source: Polestar