Oct 9 (Reuters) - Polestar's third-quarter

vehicle sales jumped, bolstered by resilient demand in the

Swedish electric-vehicle maker's home market of Europe despite a

tough macroeconomic backdrop marked by tariffs and cautious

consumer spending.

The company sold an estimated 14,192 cars in the third

quarter, a rise of 13% over the year earlier, it said in a

statement on Thursday.

Polestar has rolled out discounts and leasing incentives to

boost EV sales, while U.S. trade tariffs on global trade

partners weighed heavily on the automotive industry, prompting

manufacturers to reconfigure supply chains and relocate

production to soften the blow.

"The third quarter saw continued growth, and we have now

sold as many cars as in the whole of 2024," Polestar CEO Michael

Lohscheller said.

"Despite continued external headwinds and challenging market

conditions, our line-up and strong order intake provide a solid

basis for growth in the fourth quarter," he said.

High debt burden and persistent losses also pushed Polestar

to pivot strategically toward Europe, as it aimed to offset

sagging demand in the U.S., where consumers remain wary of large

purchases and increasingly favor hybrid and gasoline-powered

vehicles.

The company reported a wider second-quarter loss last month,

after tariffs and price pressure led to an impairment charge of

its Polestar 3.

"We will not grow in the U.S. at any cost, because the

financial exposure is then too high," company executives had

then said.