Enlarge / Polestar 2 (foreground) and Polestar 1 (background) in the Polestar showroom in Marin County, California.
Pole star
In 2020, we got our first drive with the new Polestar 2 at the time, an electric fastback sedan from an emerging car maker owned by Volvo and Geely. The car had some nifty infotainment features thanks to the stunning interior and Google’s Android Automotive OS.
At launch, there was only one powertrain option. It is a dual motor all-wheel drive setup that combines 408 hp (300 kW) and 486 lb-ft (660 Nm) with 78 kWh (75 kWh net). Lithium-ion battery. However, the company has now added the second cheaper Polestar 2 to its US lineup. The new option works well with just a single electric motor that powers the front wheels.
Polestar has powered up this motor compared to the otherwise identical unit seen when dissecting the AWD Polestar 2. It currently produces 231 hp (170 kW), but still produces the same 243 lb-ft (330 Nm). Battery capacity does not change on the 75kWh net. This is sufficient for an EPA range of 270 miles (434 km).
The power of the tap may be a little less than half, but the single-motor Polestar 2 isn’t (quite) twice as slow. 0-60 mph still only takes 7 seconds. This was thought to be pretty fast so long ago.
As you can imagine, skipping the second motor can save you some money. At $ 45,900 (or $ 1,300 destination fee) before tax incentives, the single-motor Polestar 2 is $ 4,000 cheaper than the AWD version. Beyond that, it all offers the same options. Get a $ 3,200 pilot pack (with some advanced driver assistance systems added), a $ 4,000 plus pack (including heat pumps, cool WeaveTech fabrics for seats, and power adjustments for those seats), and a $ 5,000 performance pack. I can do it. (This includes summer tires, some very luxurious Orleans dampers, and larger wheels).