It’s Just Like A Normal Car — Polestar 2
That’s why Ross bought his Polestar 2. Of course, it isn’t just like a normal car. He meant that it’s an easier transition from a fossil fuel car because the dash and layout is similar. You climb into the driver’s seat and the controls are familiar. It even has a traditional gearstick. The new owner doesn’t get “future shock.” Ross has driven plenty of electric vehicles, but he thinks the Polestar is a better looking car than the others.
Because he removed the identifying stickers on the car in order to have it ceramic coated, people have no idea what sort of car it is. Added to that is the fact that there aren’t many in Queensland. He enjoys the experience of launching at the lights and seeing people crane their necks to check out the white lightning that is leaving the other cars in the dust.
Ross is quite knowledgeable and listed the acceleration times of Polestar cars as compared to the Tesla Model 3’s acceleration times. In short, his Polestar 2 is similar money to a Tesla Model 3 performance but has similar acceleration and range to a Tesla Model 3 Long Range once the performance software upgrade is released in Australia, which is expected in the coming months. I get the impression he has been asked that question a lot. Of course, the Polestar 2 has no option for self-driving. It is also a little less efficient than the Tesla Model 3.
The Polestar 2 dual motor is meant to have a range of 480 km, but he regularly gets about 370 km with a 90% charge. The car is built on a Volvo Cars platform and still has a drive shaft tunnel at the back which is filled with batteries. He says he doesn’t notice because he doesn’t sit in the back seats.
The car has had aftermarket Heico wheels and lowering springs fitted. “To me it proves you can modify an electric car and make it look good.”
Ross was working in the finance sector as a stockbroker when he saw an opportunity in the EV space and started his own company, Chargers Direct. They are one of four Polestar-approved suppliers of charging stations in Australia. Chargers Direct also supplies and installs charging stations for a wide range of electric vehicles, with coverage throughout Australia, and caters to anyone who drives an electric vehicle. His main customers are complex projects, including apartment buildings. Ross agrees the hardest job is getting body corporates to agree to roll out charging stations while the sector is still quite small.
“Every time we go somewhere, people notice, and we have interesting conversations. It looks so different. One day I went to get some beer and a Mazda 3 tailed me up the road and the driver cornered me in the bottle shop. Turns out he has ordered a Kia EV6 and wanted to compare notes. I gave him a test drive and he was very impressed.”
“When I was a teenager, I had a photo of a Lamborghini on my bedroom wall. My 9-year-old son has a poster of a Tesla. I guess it’s aspirational.”
Happy as he is with his Polestar, Ross has ordered two white Atto 3 electric crossovers from BYD for the business. One will arrive in July and the other in August. “Why?”, I asked. He told me of his last fossil fuel vehicle, a Hyundai Tucson which he bought in 2019. The Atto 3 is a similar size at a cheaper price. The extended-range Atto 3 is AUD$47,000. “Best bang for my buck,” he said. “Best zap for your buck,” I countered.
“Then the Queensland Government contributes an AUD$3000 rebate. Plus, as a company vehicle, we can claim back the GST on the purchase. The ordering experience took about ten minutes. I’ll pick up the vehicle from mycar. Already having had the online experience with the Polestar made ordering the Atto 3 relatively familiar.
It won’t be long when EVs and online ordering are “normal” experiences. It will be petrol cars and dealerships that will become the new “unusual.”
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