Polestar Is Giving Curious EV Skeptics An Unusual Get-Out Clause

Polestar has already established that it eschews normal car buying conventions. You can buy one in a showroom made out of snow, and the company will even give you the environmental impact of each model it makes. Even the styling is a little "out there." Now, the brand has applied that same logic to something even as pedestrian and dry as a leasing agreement. 

Usually, leases are measured in years; for example, 24 or 36 months. When that time is up, you can continue leasing from the automaker with a newer model, or you can outright buy the car. In most cases, once you've signed, you are locked into that agreement. 

However, Polestar has started offering a clause to its Flexible Lease Plan. You can now choose to opt out entirely after five months and five payments for the Polestar 2, according to Polestar's site. It's available to anyone who qualifies and selects a 24-month lease on a Polestar 2. It starts at $349 a month, depending on whether or not you qualify. 

Polestar says it's an option for people waiting on vehicle deliveries (unfortunately a common occurrence with EVs), or if you're a first-time adopter of EV technology, and you aren't sure about the whole concept. Regardless of Polestar's rationale, giving customers more flexibility is never frowned upon.

This leasing structure makes the most sense with EVs. Despite the cutting edge technology and Polestar's generally competent and stylish lineup, EVs aren't for everyone, and the worst time to figure that out is right after you get home from the dealership. 

Polestar's flexible leasing structure helps mitigate that a bit. You don't want to drive home in your new Polestar, and then figure out that your town or city doesn't have a very robust charging infrastructure, or that the range isn't good enough for your particular needs.

Switching to an EV is a big step, at least in the United States. Polestar wisely recognizes that, and other EV automakers should probably follow suit to some degree.