I had one slight slide on a patch of black ice, but that would have foiled any car. My tester was fitted with winter tires rather than standard all-seasons. That’s something you should do, but might try to get away with not doing on a leased car (especially the 27-month leases Polestar is offering). After all, adding a set of new treads and a Level 2 charger negates some of the savings that come with the lease deal.
By normal car standards, its 5.9-second 0-60 mph acceleration would feel downright quick. Also, because there’s no rear window, owners are free to pile as many items as possible in the cargo area, since there’s no rear window line they have to accommodate. Rear visibility is handled via a camera that Polestar claims gives the driver a wider field of vision than rubbernecking and looking out a tiny rear window. If you’re like me, you probably mistakenly thought that the Polestar 3 and 4 were mostly sister cars, akin to the relationship of the BMW X3 and X4. Those two cars are mostly the same, but one has a sportier roofline, crafted to dupe SUV owners into seeing their high-profile, tall crossovers as sporty coupes.
- Under the label Polestar Engineered, Polestar offers enhancements for Volvo cars which deliver upgraded performance.
- We combine hands-on testing, decades of experience and original photography to craft reports, reviews and guides.
- The company cited difficult market conditions as a main catalyst driving the decision.
It reminded the main element of the wind rose, where the “North-West” and “South-East” parts had been removed. The main part of the wind rose actually reminds a star, which creates a link between the logo and the name of the company. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
The Polestar 0 project is the company’s ambitious goal of creating a truly climate-neutral production car by 2030. The research initiative also aims to create a sense of urgency to act on the climate crisis, by challenging employees, top five cryptocurrencies suppliers and the wider automotive industry, to drive towards zero. Founded in 2007, Gear Patrol is the definitive buying guide for enthusiasts. Our independent experts test the best in cars, tech, home, outdoors, style and watches.
Polestar 6
If you happen to be driving one, it’s a question you’ll get asked constantly. In short, Polestar is a Swedish electric performance car brand. The name stems from the Polestar racing team, which was also a Volvo performance tuner. Volvo bought the performance https://bigbostrade.com/ tuning portion of the company and the Polestar name. Polestar began producing high-performance Polestar Engineered versions of Volvo cars, created Polestar as a standalone brand and spun it off as a standalone company with an IPO in June 2022.
The Polestar 2 RWD Is Such a Great EV Deal, I Might Buy One
Both variants have a 100 kWh CATL Nickle-manganese-colbalt battery pack. WLTP range single motor is 610 km and 580 km on the dual motor. Polestar says production is planned for mid-year with first deliveries expected from August. With an impressive drivetrain and new battery pack, the entry level Long range Single motor variant starts at $81,500 and the Long Range Duel Motor from $93,500.
The 4, along with the larger and more luxurious 3, will both go on sale this year and should be in Ireland by the summer, or at least the late summer. They are critical models for this young brand, which so far has built its reputation and sales entirely on one model, the very obviously Volvo-based Polestar 2. We’ll see when the Polestar 4 officially goes on sale in 2024. Pricing isn’t official yet, but at an expected $60,000 starting price, the car faces a lot of competition from EVs that don’t have as many hate-it-or-love-it design choices. Polestar is, really, really desperate to prove to everyone it isn’t Volvo.
But the RWD Long Range Polestar 2 is as close as I’ve come to pulling the trigger. There’s no shame if you’ve never heard of Polestar yet. But here’s everything you need to know to have the inside scoop on this growing electric car brand.
With Multiple Personalities, Polestar Plots Its Post-Volvo Course
The composition was set in plain black and looked edgy, progressive, and very professional. This badge stayed with the company for a bit less than three years. The inscription was set in an elegant sans-serif typeface with square shapes of the letters and rounded ends of the bars.
On top of that, a larger 82-kWh battery pack bumps the EPA-rated range to 320 miles. The 2 is a decent EV fastback saloon, but you can’t build a new brand with just the one car, and hence the importance of the new models. Equally, even the 2 is getting on a bit now, and has been replaced in most other markets by an updated version with rear-wheel drive (the current Polestar 2 is still predominantly front-wheel drive) and a longer range.
I left the aforementioned coffee shop with 90 miles of range; after driving 1.8 miles home in the chill, the estimate was 70 miles. I don’t need or want a vehicle that’s going to light my hair on fire at this stage in my life. The Polestar 2 is efficient, handles well, does little that’s annoying on the driving front and meets me at my level.
Except the Volvo’s interior cabin doesn’t match what the exterior body panels are doing. Polestar is calling it a “new breed of SUV coupe.” It slots between the Polestar 2 and the Polestar 3 for both size and price. It’s also Polestar’s most powerful and quickest EV to date with up to 544 hp from the dual-motor setup and a 0-62 mph time of 3.8 seconds.
The company cited difficult market conditions as a main catalyst driving the decision. “As part of this business plan, we need to adjust the size of our business and operations. This involves reducing external spend and, regrettably, also our number of employees,” a Polestar spokesperson said on Friday. Polestar in November trimmed delivery forecasts and outlined a revised business plan, aiming for its cash flow to break even in 2025 and to reduce its reliance on external funding from key owners Volvo Cars and Geely. Electric car maker Polestar Automotive Holding plans to cut around 450 jobs globally, or about 15% of its workforce, amid “challenging market conditions,” the Swedish company said on Friday. “The introduction of Polestar 4 into all our markets through the course of 2024 is key to our success, adding this third model to our line-up,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.