The New Polestar 2 EV: A Few Things You Should Know
The Polestar 2 not only features distinctive LED brake lights and intelligent headlights, but it also has a few more intriguing tricks up its sleeve.
Polestar was roughly the AMG equivalent to Volvo, however they have since broken off with the assistance of Chinese automotive giant Geely Motors to form a joint venture into the world of electric vehicles. Polestar first produced the awe-inspiring Polestar 1 which had a hybrid drive train providing a luxury experience at upwards of $155k.
In an attempt to have a more accessible vehicle, Polestar responded with the intriguing new Polestar 2 all electric vehicle at a much more manageable starting price of $45,900. The car brand is new from the ground up and is attempting to shake up the way we buy new vehicles. Here are a few things I've learned during the couple of months I have been an owner. I did a longer Polestar 2 review when I hit 5k miles, you can read here.
Buying One is Easy
One of the main reasons I went with a Polestar 2 is so that I did not have to deal with haggling and the additional dealer markups(ADM) that almost every other car manufacturer is adding to their sales. I did a longer post about why I will avoid traditional car dealerships in the future that you can read here. The ability to purchase the car almost entirely online without any hidden fees or ADM is as easy as following the online portal and submitting the requested information.
Getting It Serviced Is a Mixed Bag
Polestar has a promise that they will come and pick up your car and take it to the closest service space if you are less than 150 miles (241.4 km) away. In my personal experience, this promise is 100% true. Within the first week of ownership of my Polestar 2 I had an issue that required service. I go into more detail here. Polestar, with some encouragement, picked up my car and took it to the service center more than 100 miles away. They also drove a Polestar 2 loaner to my work the same day, as well as bringing my fixed Polestar back and taking the loaner back the following day.
Future Proof Smart Headlights
Leave the headlights on high beam. The smart, safety-enhancing Pixel LED technology adapts to light and weather conditions to provide an optimal view without blinding other drivers.
All Polestar 2's with the Pilot pack come with Pixel LED headlights. A front-mounted camera controls 84 Pixel LEDs found in each headlamp. The LEDs are individually turned on and off depending on what it senses, altering the beam to always deliver the best illumination. Due to US regulation, the main functionality that the pixel headlights provide is disabled. Polestar says they are working with US authorities and will enable full functionality once laws are put into effect. At this time, in the US, Active bending lights is only functional. Active Bending Lights track steering wheel movements to offer extra illumination at bends and intersections, improving the driver's visibility.
Polestar 2 Shares An Already Established Platform
The process of creating a highly adaptable vehicle platform started in 2013. The compact modular architecture (CMA) platform was created by Volvo and its parent company, Geely, and is the foundation for both the Polestar 2 and the Volvo XC40 Recharge. Only the separation between the pedal box and the center of the front wheels is permanent; everything else can be adjusted to fit the planned vehicle design.
They both feature two 150 kw electric motors and identically equipped 78 kwh battery packs. The same engineering teams in Sweden worked on each of them. And Thomas Ingenlath was the designer of both. The battery, which contains 284 cells and weighs 1098 pounds and is mounted beneath the Polestar 2's passenger compartment, is one of the components that helps to maintain the rigidity of the chassis. Polestar claims that the extremely rigid case significantly stiffens the car's body structure.
Volvo's Safety Obsession Bled Over To Polestar
In addition to providing standard airbags that one would expect, Polestar has also added a number of airbags that are located on the interior of the front seats. In contrast to traditional side airbags, which are mounted on the side of a seat closest to the door, the new airbags are mounted on the opposite side and deploy in the opposite direction, between the front-seat occupants, along the centerline of the vehicle. This helps to prevent occupants from being thrown sideways in the event of a side impact.
Pilot Assist: Preventative, Adaptive and Aware
As the name suggests, Pilot Assist does exactly that. It assists. It is a tool to help with safety and fatigue while driving. This is accomplished using a wide range of safety features that are included with the Pilot package, as well as some that are standard. This includes a 360-degree camera visibility system, a cross-traffic alert system, a blind spot information system with steering assistance, and many other safety features. Coming from the world of Tesla, Full Self Driving and Autopilot, I was impressed with what Volvo Polestar has to offer. You can find more details about how Pilot Assist works here.
Cup Holders Are A Bit Of A Struggle
With the arm reset compartment closed, the Polestar 2 provides a single cup holder. If you want to have two cup holders you have to open the arm reset lid revealing the second hidden cup holder. This will then render the arm reset useless. I personally do not have an issue with this, as I normally drive this car by myself. However, it is a point of contention for some owners. Luckily, there are aftermarket accessories that attempt to remedy this problem. Feel free to check out some of the top accessories for the Polestar 2 here.
Compared To What The EPA Estimate Suggests, Its Highway Range Is Better.
The 2022 Polestar 2 Long Range single-motor and dual-motor vehicles exceeded EPA-estimated range by 19 and 39 miles, traveling 289 and 288 miles, respectively, in Edmunds' real-world EV range test. I personally have not done an actual test myself, as I am able to charge at work, but I am getting pretty good efficiency for what it is worth.