Polestar introduces battery health certificates

Polestar has introduced battery state-of-health (SOH) certificates for secondhand Polestar 2 vehicles, in a bid to improve consumer confidence in the preowned EV market. The certificates will give customers transparency over a used vehicle's battery health, capacity, and longevity.

The state-of-health documents will be issued as part of a wider certification process within the Polestar Pre-owned programme. This sees cars undergo a lengthy 112-point inspection at official service locations to validate its status. As well as the battery SOH certificates, used Polestar 2s will also be issued with independently verified, mileage, service, and ownership certifications.

This will all be compounded with a 24-month warranty for the vehicle as well as a battery warranty. To be specific, Polestar states the battery warranty for secondhand vehicles will be either whatever remains of the 8-year battery warranty or 160,000km – whichever comes first. The company has added that if a battery’s state-of-health drops below 70 per cent of its original capacity within the first 8 years, it will replace the battery at no extra cost.

Additionally, Polestar states that its secondhand Polestar 2s will continue to receive the latest over-the-air (OTA) updates released by the company, including range increases via changes to the battery management software.

In a statement, Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller said: “Thanks to our new battery state-of-health certificate, we’ve just added another reason for used EV buyers to purchase a pre-owned Polestar 2. Along with the 112-point check, 24-month warranty and roadside assistance, plus our commitment to continually enhance our vehicles via over-the-air software updates, buyers can be confident they’re getting the very best example of a used Polestar 2 possible.”

It marks one of the first times an EV manufacturer has provided detailed battery health documentation for its used vehicles. Other companies such as Volvo and AVL have announced plans to introduce ‘battery passports’ covering state of health as part of upcoming EU regulations. These regulations will kick into effect in February 2027, and must demonstrate the origin of key materials, their carbon footprint, and level of recycled content. However, Polestar’s efforts mark a much more proactive step towards providing full transparency – and crucially, guarantees – to buyers of its used vehicles ahead of the new rules.

polestar.com