Polestar 2 Debut: China's Response to the Tesla Model 3

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Polestar, Volvo’s former performance division (which parent company Geely insisted be spun off as its own electric car brand), announced its second automobile on Wednesday. Whereas the Polestar 1 was a 600-horsepower hybrid coupe, Polestar 2 adds a set of rear doors and does away with internal combustion altogether.

For all the “Tesla fighters” out there, this one comes the closest to giving the Model 3 a run for its money. With a targeted range of 275 miles, accomplished via a 78-kilowatt-hour battery pack structurally integrated into the vehicle’s floor, Polestar 2’s in the sweet spot for range. But it also happens to be the correct shape (five-door fastback) and price to ensure its gets stuck in Elon Musk’s tastefully shorn hair.

The launch version of Polestar 2 will cost $68,000 (59,900 euros) and should be followed by a subscription service and more-affordable variants next year — with the lowest coming in around $45,000. That’s roughly where the Model 3 lives, making it glaringly evident that the brand was taking notes on Tesla’s “entry-level” EV during the 2’s development.

While the Polestar hasn’t proven itself to be the better car, the company claims 408 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque from a dual-motor setup. That’s on par with the Model 3 Performance, but questions remain in regards to acceleration. Polestar says the 2 should boast a 0-to-62 mph blast of “less than 5 seconds,” but we know the top-tier Tesla is capable of the same in about 3.5 seconds. Its mid-range, AWD variant makes the dash in around 4.5 seconds.

Perhaps Polestar is just being modest.

However, even if it doesn’t turn out to be quite so fast as its main rival, there are other reasons shoppers might take an interest. Back in 2017, Google announced it was working on a native version of Android for use in automobiles, signing Volvo as one of its earliest adopters. The Polestar 2 will be one of the first vehicles to implement it, and the company is positively beaming over the opportunity to have one-upped the competition on technology.

From Polestar:

The Android backbone provides a solid and adaptable digital environment for apps and vehicle functions to coexist, and brings embedded Google services to a car for the first time — including the Google Assistant, Google Maps with support for electric vehicles and the Google Play Store. Natural voice control and a new 11-inch touch screen display bring the new interface to life.

Interestingly, the brand underplayed its best feature — as this version of Android can be updated remotely by Google or Polestar to keep it fresh. One of the biggest gripes with modern vehicles is how quickly their infotainment systems become dated. Now Google can keep updating features while automakers worry about slick designs and tailoring the interface to match their brand.

However, if you don’t care about that or find the whole idea of automotive connectivity unsettling, Polestar plans to offer enviable hardware through its Performance Pack. The bundle adds Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes, and unique 20-inch forged wheels — as well as Polestar’s signature gold seat belts, brake calipers, and valve caps. Make no mistake, though — the company intends this to be a mass-market vehicle.

Whether or not that’s feasible is up for debate. Since the car is to be manufactured in China, home to Geely’s headquarters, there could be trouble getting it to the United States. But Polestar says it wants to see the 2 sold in China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Belgium as it considers other markets.

Pre-orders are open at the manufacturer’s website now, and production of the Polestar 2 is scheduled to commence in early 2020.

[Images: Polestar]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Lockstops Lockstops on Feb 28, 2019

    Thank you for the very good title. It describes the company correctly: it is an effort originating from China. Then add to the ominous use of Android, which many western car makers refuse to use at all due to Android misusing user data. You can't trust that combo, and in any case giving them your little finger is not a good idea because of what they'll do later if you build them up into a strong force in the marketplace. They are actually trying to use: "it's always online and can always adapt" as a selling point! It should be the opposite!

    • See 1 previous
    • Art Vandelay Art Vandelay on Mar 01, 2019

      @mcs Well they don't make you leave your Android phone at the gate soooo...

  • SPPPP SPPPP on Feb 28, 2019

    "Interestingly, the brand underplayed its best feature — as this version of Android can be updated remotely by Google or Polestar to keep it fresh. One of the biggest gripes with modern vehicles is how quickly their infotainment systems become dated. Now Google can keep updating features while automakers worry about slick designs and tailoring the interface to match their brand." I would imagine that the brand may actually be scared of their own technology. Because it's not really theirs - it's Google's. (Even though it started out open source.) As on owner of a 4-year-old Android smartphone, I know firsthand that Google's updates to Android quite often break old apps, disable features that you liked, leave devices near-crippled because of software-hardware incompatibility, or force app developers to update their code in such a way that the updated app is compatible with the updated Android, but incompatible with your device. In other words, maybe Polestar is worried that a multi-billion corporation will one day change something on a whim and leave all their customers with $68,000 paperweights.

  • Lorenzo Are they calling it a K4? That's a mountain in the Himalayas! Stick with names!
  • MaintenanceCosts It's going to have to go downmarket a bit not to step on the Land Cruiser's toes.
  • Lorenzo Since EVs don't come in for oil changes, their owners don't have their tires rotated regularly, something the dealers would have done. That's the biggest reason they need to buy a new set of tires sooner, not that EVs wear out tires appreciably faster.
  • THX1136 Always liked the Mustang though I've never owned one. I remember my 13 yo self grabbing some Ford literature that Oct which included the brochure for the Mustang. Using my youthful imagination I traced the 'centerfold' photo of the car AND extending the roof line back to turn it into a small wagon version. At the time I thought it would be a cool variant to offer. What was I thinking?!
  • GregLocock That's a bodge, not a solution. Your diff now has bits of broken off metal floating around in it.
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