IVIEW_Polestar_FW_May22.qxp 14/05/2022 13:18 Page 1
In conversation
ON A CHARGE
Matt Hawkins head of sales in the UK for Polestar, talks about starting a brand in the pandemic and helping fleets who are ready to switch to EVs There’s a lot of talk about how challenging the auto industry is currently. How have the past 18 months been for Polestar and fleet? MH: I think 2021 was the year the brand really started to gain momentum, because we only started in 2020. I joined Polestar in February 2020 and it was still very embryonic at that stage. There was clearly a need for a focus on fleet, but I don’t think that was there from the outset. But, as with any new brand, it evolved from an idea and a big part of that initial core value was on performance and sustainability. It took a little while to formulate a plan for fleet in the UK, but now we have a clear understanding. Myself and Debbie Hunt (head of fleet sales) both come from a fleet background and we have a good idea of what can be done better – and differently – to improve and enhance the experience of a new brand in the market. What progress have you made with customers? MH: We got to grips with the major leasing companies and had all of the relevant supply contracts in place early in 2020, to make sure they could actually place orders with us. Then we really started to tackle some of the major accounts that we knew were already banging at the door, wanting to order Polestars! So really, from the outset, we’ve been in a fortunate position of having quite a large amount of demand for products. What makes Polestar stand out from other manufacturers in the auto world? MH: Polestar isn’t really a sales-led organisation. All of the touch points we have with customers are based around trying to facilitate the customer experience. We look at what happens when they go to a test drive event or visit one of the Polestar spaces. It’s not about how we can sell them a car, their monthly budget or when they are looking to change. The focus has always been on delivering a great experience as a new brand, particularly with
18 fleetworld.co.uk
fleet customers where you’ve got a lot of drivers who are either being pushed by their employer towards EV because of company policy, or they’re being pulled towards EV by Benefit in Kind incentives. Drivers might not have done much research or don’t fully understand EV, so those are the ones who need a bit of hand-holding and guidance around how to make the change. In addition, there are a huge number of people who still don’t even know who we are! We’re still that new kid on the block.
What advantages have you found, being an EV-only brand in the fleet sector? MH: I think the main advantage is that we can focus purely on the EV proposition. There’s no skewing of the message, we can give a really clear, concise message about what we offer. That means telling people we’re a fully electric brand that is all about sustainability, performance and premium. We don’t have to think about achieving a target around ICE sales or even hybrid sales. I think that can confuse the messaging in some instances. If you’re
POLESTAR 2 4,100 were delivered to buyers in 2021
What are your specific future fleet goals? MH: We want to learn how we can work with fleets and make sure that when drivers are looking at a list of car choices, they recognise Polestar. Brand awareness is as important – if not more important – than the whole-life cost that actually gets us positioned on fleets in the first place. Because of that surge in demand, we have seen consistent growth in residual values, which is probably ahead of what the marketplace is generally seeing – which is unprecedented anyway, but it also makes it even easier for us to get positioned on to company fleet policies.
going into a company talking about your fantastic new EV products, but then are also trying to shift 2.0-litre diesels because a factory is still churning them out, it can give off a mixed message. Polestar is a unique proposition because the focus is so heavily on sustainability – and genuine sustainability – so we can talk with confidence about the fact that we can be totally transparent in our carbon position, and our aim of building a fully carbon-neutral car by 2030. But what about the challenges? MH: The biggest challenge is probably just making sure that we’re in the right
