Polestar, the Global Electric Performance Car Company, Signs Agreement to be Publicly Listed Through Combination with Gores Guggenheim, Inc.

Polestar Performance AB and its affiliates (“Polestar” or the “Company”), the global electric performance car company, and Gores Guggenheim, Inc. (“Gores Guggenheim”) (Nasdaq: GGPI, GGPIW and GGPIU), a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) formed by affiliates of The Gores Group and Guggenheim Capital, LLC, announced today that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”). Upon closing of the proposed business combination, the combined company will be held by a new public company that will be named Polestar Automotive Holding UK Limited, which is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “PSNY”. The transaction implies an enterprise value of approximately USD 20 billion.

Founded in 2017 by Volvo Cars and Zhejiang Geely Holding, Polestar is a global pure play, premium electric performance vehicle manufacturer. The Company’s two award-winning electric performance cars, Polestar 1 and Polestar 2, are currently on roads across Europe, North America and Asia. In addition, the Company has plans to launch three new models by 2024. Polestar delivered approximately 10,000 vehicles in 2020 and expects to sell approximately 290,000 vehicles per year by 2025. Existing investors include Volvo Car Group and affiliates of Geely Chairman Eric Li, and actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio, amongst others.

Polestar has drawn extensively on the industrial heritage, knowledge and market infrastructure of Volvo Cars. Polestar’s combination of deep automotive expertise, paired with its cutting-edge technologies and agile, entrepreneurial culture, underpins the Company’s potential for growth and success. Sustainability is at the core of Polestar’s business model, and the Company has ambitious industry-leading targets, including the goals to develop a truly climate-neutral car by 2030 and to be the most transparent pure play electric vehicle company.

Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar, says: “This is a really exciting time for Polestar. With two award-winning cars on the road today in 14 active markets across three continents, we seek to expand to 30 markets by 2023. We are thrilled about the targeted addition of three new premium electric cars to our line-up by 2024, starting with our first SUV expected in 2022. In Alec and the Gores Guggenheim team, we have found a partner with an impressive track record of bringing leading companies to the public markets. The proposed business combination and listing position Polestar as a financially strong, future proof, global electric car company. It will enable us to accelerate our growth, strategy and most importantly, our mission towards sustainable mobility.”

Alec Gores, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Gores Group and Chairman of Gores Guggenheim, states, “Polestar is a stand-out company in the EV space – a design-led, sports-performance oriented electric OEM focused on industry-leading sustainability solutions. The Company is truly differentiated from others given its premier vehicles, attractive financial profile, strong track record of performance, and the fact that it already has cars on the road across the globe. I had the privilege of seeing the line-up of upcoming models, and the cars represent best-in-class innovation and industry-leading design that set the brand apart. Driven by an incredible leadership team with Thomas at the helm, Polestar is well-positioned to capitalize on this exciting and dynamic time for car manufacturers.”