The Polestar 2 sets a high bar for other EVs to aim for ! [Range, Road & Track Test]

Finally, an EV that car take the fight to Tesla. I've spent a week with the Polestar 2, driven nearly 500 miles and learned a great deal about this performance family EV. I have even put it to the test on a race track.
With 408 horsepower from its dual motor drive train the Polestar 2 packs a punch. The car on test was fitted with the optional Performance Pack which comes with huge Brembo brakes and 10 way adjustable Ohlins dampers.
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[@Miata822]

If you see range falling too fast you can slow by 5mph if you don't want to charge. If you do stop, only charge for long enough to get where you are going. Arriving at your destination (where you can presumably charge) with 70 miles of range means you charged for 60 miles you didn't need. Probably only needed to charge for 10 minutes at most. And the estimated range number on the dash, EV owners often call that the Guess-O-Meter, is based on your past driving. Drive in the city today and it will estimate long range tomorrow. Get out on a motorway going 70+ for hours on end and you real range will be much less. The cars speed through the wind is the main influence on range. Wind drag increases with the square of velocity so modest reductions in speed can greatly increase range.

[@Fafmagic]

I was in two minds whether to get the model you drove here (minus the performance pack because that's totally impractical for general use) or the long range. Went with the long range, and really glad I did. You get 40 miles more range but have to "suffer" with a 7 sec 0-60 time. Remember gang, you'll be trying to get to your destination a lot more than trying to get 60. Great car. Comfy, quiet, striking to look at and wonderful to drive.

[@markpd81]

I get my car next week and I have gone through every video on KZbin in anticipation. Your review was among the top 3 wet content. Fantastic practical references made it so meaningful. The bike in the back being one of them.... Great work.

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks Mark. Enjoy the new car 👍

[@Killer-Hoaco]

Im getting mine 25th of april, cant wait 😅

[@mikekeats2610]

Good review have been waiting for your review! I actually took delivery of a Polestar 2 3 weeks ago and have been really impressed and certainly made the right choice. I didn't go for the performance pack but still went for 20" wheels and still rides really well. I never drove one before it arrived because of Covid closing the events etc but with the first drive in it instantly got used the one pedal driving. Amazing car and would recommend trying one!

[@IkkeVanAdel]

I've driving electric for a year now (Mini Cooper SE) and I love it. The thing about the range and all that stuff is just getting used too. After a couple of months, when you've done most of your 'usual' journeys, you know what to expect from the car and there is no 'range anxiety' anymore. Now on to the the bit that most of the ev car reviewers (in my opinion) get it wrong, is the 'range test'. Highways or dual carriage ways are range killers for ev's. It's like using cordless drill with your finger on the button the whole time or let your laptop on standby with a heavy task in the background, it will DRAIN your battery. Since you constantly have to ask 'power' from the e-motors, without those little 'recuperation' periods, your battery simply drains. Do that range test on your B-roads (normal driving style then Pete :) ) and you will see that you will easily get that 250 miles.

[@PetrolPed]

Interesting. Thanks for this 👍

[@naturshoot8448]

It's all very well saying that, however, it's those long motorway/dual carriageway journeys where range anxiety is at its highest, and accurate range prediction is most important. It's also these journeys where ICE cars are more predictable currently. The range predictor should give a much higher weighting to these journeys so that you can plan them. You don't need to plan your regular journeys as you state. If you then go on A or B roads, and through regenerative breaking can extend your predicted range, then that's great, but that should be a bonus, not the only way to actually get the predicted range. Until the EV manufacturers realise this, then I think reviewers are absolutely right to continue to call it out. When it goes wrong it's not just a five minute splash and dash, it's a journey re-route to find a suitable charger and then at least 20 mins of dead time you weren't planning, assuming the charger is available and working, which is still a risk, but one that will hopefully improve.

[@briangriffiths114]

@@naturshoot8448 100% agree. To exemplify your point, there have been a number of occasions during my pre-Covid regular trips in the Scottish Highlands where a serious road accident has resulted in a full road closure for hours requiring a detour of 50-100 miles. My petrol car could cope with this but most EV's would have needed to be recharged in the middle of nowhere. Until they make smaller and cheaper electric cars with less mass, lower power to weight ratios and more focus on range rather than a 0-60 that would shame most sports cars, the EV movement is not seriously addressing climate change as they claim.

[@nigelk780]

So its a one trick pony then. Most people need a two trick pony. I have a cordless and 240v drill

[@kiae-nirodiariesencore4270]

True enough Yoeri. I’ve had a Kia e-NIro since March 2019 and on local journeys am seeing comfortably 450 km in winter and over 500 km in summer with a full charge. Recently did a round trip journey of 380 km (we live in France) on fast autoroute all the way, still had 55 km of range showing when we got home so as you say, easily 250 miles but more like 200 in winter on fast roads in my experience

[@stoatsngroatsuk5012]

That’d be the one for me, minus the performance pack, but with the longer range, that’s perfection!

[@franjohnson52]

Having glanced at some of the comments below, I think I agree with the people who clamour for more range at the expense of performance. With a diesel that will do 500 on a tank, to drop to under a realistic 200 would take some learning. I don't need hundreds of horsepower and I reckon the first manufacturer to go down the range route will make a killing! Good review as always 👌

[@markkenton8420]

Lovely looking car. You can see that it has the look of the Volvo family around the C panel

[@asams7255]

Test drove one a few weeks ago. Absolutely phenomenal

[@sandersson2813]

I test drove one on Friday too. Unbelievable car. If it had 400 miles of range it would be the perfect car, but I just can't help worrying about the range, especially in winter and motorway driving. Be lucky to get 200 miles out of a charge.

[@PetrolPed]

Yep 👍

[@yeti78]

Have the non PP version. Long trip of 750km crossing Switzerland and Italy with some passes up and down needed 2 short charges on the go. Actually the pressure finding a toilet was higher than needing a charger. Google didn’t factor in the downhill added reach, but the native ABRP did. Overall I got the promised 19,6kWh/100km w/ summertyres.

[@coltoncleveringa8004]

I really like that polestar 2 I’d pick that over a Tesla just based on looks. Great review Sir Pete! Definitely appreciate the real world tests your able to do with these electric cars! Also I had such a busy weekend that I completely missed this video tell today!

[@redberry00]

Hi Pete. Looking forward to another great video. Keep up the good work!

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 👍

[@naturshoot8448]

An idea for a future test. EV vs. non-EV drive to your place in Cornwall in peak holiday season on one of the normal changeover days, i.e. Friday or Saturday when the traffic down to Cornwall is usually shocking. The reason I say that is because if as we are told EV ownership is increasing dramatically, then this is when there will be the most pressure on charge points at service stations. At some point I think EV ownership will outstrip charging network capability, and it's these journeys that are often the most stressful even without the need to recharge, so I think this would make for a really interesting test beyond the standard, how far will my EV go style, especially in this year which is looking to be the ultimate staycation time.

[@briangriffiths114]

I also fear that once we are all forced into EVs for transportation and our homes are warmed by heat pumps, even a strengthened National Grid will be vulnerable to cyber attacks and worse which will paralyse the entire country from time to time in a similar way what currently happens with online banking apps.

[@PetrolPed]

I’m stressed just thinking about doing that 😂

[@anonymouspdg6121]

Enjoyed this video. I’m looking at the Polstar 2 as an option. Interestingly, they’ve just introduced a 2 wheel drive long range version that shows 330 mile range. Think it now starts at £39,995 and the long range with some bits added (not the performance pack)is about £50k. They’ve also just announced the Polstar 3 which is supposedly an SUV. Images look a bit like the new Volvo C40. Should be interesting. 😊

[@PetrolPed]

I’ll try and get my hands on one 👍

[@SDK2006b]

Nice review 👍🏼 I love the car and it’s fitted perfectly into my life over the last 8 months. On the price, it undercuts the BMW 340i with a similar spec by £5k and equal size /spec Mercs & Audi’s too

[@PetrolPed]

👍

[@richardcorns8553]

Great car. So easy to live with as long as you have home charging. Like having a never ending fuel tank for day to day living.

[@garethedwards2883]

Looks like a well designed car and looks good, should be reliable being part of the Volvo group.

[@stevenbennett3922]

As always an excellent vid Pete. Would save myself £10k of options straight away. The standard car will probably be enough for most people and £10k of options is a lot on the monthlies. Daily for me is a V90 D5 AWD CC so the Polestar technology will be in my cars replacement soon, well 3 or 4 years.

[@Singh64able]

Very nice looking car once again its the planning of the journey having to take time out to charge again , although it was only just over 20 mins but it just feels inconvenient . Can't wait for you to get hold of the BMW i4 when its out to see how it compares with the competition great review as always 👍🏼👌

[@miata1370]

Appreciate your "bike test" as that's one requirement our next vehicle must meet as well!

[@PetrolPed]

I always try and get my bike it 😜

[@rjs_media1726]

Was great to see you up in our neck of the woods Pete✌🏻 it’s mad to think how much planning goes into a journey in an ev should we stick to petrol pumps👀

[@mickbadger3784]

enjoyed your review ped. some nice interior touches comfortable looking perforated leather seats. i too am in the range anxiety camp, until E/v's can do a reasonable trip to the coast or family visit without having to stop and find a charging point then the majority of motorists will stick with an internal combustion engine, i know in a few years with technology improvements this will be achieved but for now its inhibitive for most. this aside i like the car.

[@MrDieselakias]

Honest review

[@humphreybradley3060]

Great review Pete. It’s a excellent EV, but it’s almost 300kg heavier than the Tesla Model 3 which will have a negative impact on efficiency. Regarding the costs, the price is clearly not the full story & it’s the total cost of ownership that is the key metric.

[@davidpegg4516]

Can’t see many owners adjusting the dampers. You should be able to do that from inside the cabin just like the latest Golf allows you to do.

[@andyhopton]

Great review, must say though I have a 300 mile round trip to work in Sunderland every week from Lancashire which I do in my XF 2.2TD it can do this weekly trip twice on a full tank of fuel so 10 minutes a month spent getting fuel, costing about £31 a week it would be interesting to know what the cost was for your trip based on one charge at home then 2/3 on the road

[@me250165]

Good evening PP 🙂 another great review. An average diesel gives around 60mpg on motorway, it would be interesting to see how much difference there would be in cost and time, if the Polestar covered the same distance as the average diesel can travel on a full tank 🤔🤔

[@MikeNunn-LWM]

InstaVolt have great chargers, just tap and charge. No app, no registration if you don’t want to. You’d have been ok with only 10 minutes charging. I have never driven a petrol car that actually achieves it’s estimated range. I would love an extended test drive.

[@alancwright]

My first experience this week with InstaVolt was also contactless down in Bridport, Peter must have been unlucky and got an older charge point. There is a 125kwh near Basingstoke which I will use going to Heathrow when it all opens up.

[@MPCooke]

Really enjoyed this review Peter, comprehensive, insightful and interesting to see how it it performed on the track too. Spot-on! I am not a Tesla fan at all for many reasons but they still have the competition covered in the areas of range and charging infrastructure. This is the most credible alternative to Tesla in sensible money category in my opinion and comes with all the positive benefits that buying a modern Volvo delivers such as interesting interior and exterior design, build quality/materials. Tesla's look rubbish (just my personal opinion), feel cheep and are built poorly (fact). The Polestar2 is in a different league by comparison in that dept. Range uncertainty is the biggest challenge for me but this would be my go to choice for a sensibly priced and practical EV in the current market and the available technology.

[@trev8591]

Good precis, Sir. Exactly my thoughts.

[@naturshoot8448]

Have to agree on Tesla design. Now the traditional car makers are piling in on EV's, I think Tesla's time is limited as they will catch up on charging, which currently is pretty much their main plus point.

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 👍

[@ginggur17]

Evening pal, brilliant review and put together a treat. 👍👍👍

[@peterkirton4580]

If most EV cars are £40,000 plus that is going to disadvantage many who simply cannot afford them

[@volvodashcam]

Most people can't afford new cars at all.. but the more of new cars that are electric the more there will be on second hand market in a few years. And when buying an electric car your TCO goes down pretty quickly if you drive a few miles. Much cheaper to own than a gas car, even if it's a bit more expensive to buy for a few more years. ;)

[@neilbissett1240]

Think it’s a waiting game lots more ev’s to come I don’t fancy being a guinea pig and paying silly prices to own a 40 thousand plus luxury electric car so going to wait till I can walk into a showroom and have a better selection of car than what’s out their at the moment as for the charging infrastructure at the moment Tesla are a head of the game ,lots more to come I guess we might even see hydrogen cars someday yes they are expensive but so are certain high end Ev’s thanks for the review great as ever keep them coming mate 😎

[@sandersson2813]

@@neilbissett1240 Wiat until the government start charging you per mile or per charge too. They make billions out of fuel duty. So not only is an electric car going to cost you 40k+, but it's not going to be any cheaper than petrol.

[@peterkirton4580]

@@sandersson2813 you are so right. Road pricing is bound to happen

[@sandersson2813]

@@peterkirton4580 Bound to, and no doubt it will be more than current fuel duty cost too

[@lewishunter]

Another great review and a great looking car 👍

[@SDK2006b]

In stop/start rolling traffic I set the adaptive cruise on, so the car does the braking, stoping and accelerating for me. No need to worry about those late hard brakers then

[@dangreasley7934]

Fantastic varied review, Public road and track, very impressive. Range accuracy continues to be a challenge with EV's, but they will improve I'm sure.

[@PetrolPed]

I’m sure they will 👍

[@stevecade857]

Manual adjusted dampers. Not exactly up to date for part of the £5k. I adjust my motorcycle and car suspension for the road condition and how I'm driving a few times on journeys electronically. Manual adjustment doesn't cut it even if it is Ohlins.

[@davidstuart4915]

got to round 6 mins and you commented that it would be more efficient at 70mph on a motorway than a B road.....that aint actually so with EVs (no decel-recharge)

[@lewisjenkins8238]

Exactly. The two main areas that hit efficiency are top speed and temperature.

[@garrymatthews4430]

Must admit that is one impressive review of driving on a track!!

[@PetrolPed]

👍

[@tinrobot1746]

I don't think I have touched my brake pedal once in the last 300 miles. Regen does it all. That is why I didn't go for the performance brakes. I also went for the smaller wheels as you get better range. That leaves the suspension. Ohlins are lovely but not £5K lovely and the standard set up is fine. This is the first video of yours I have watched (very good btw) but I find that most people that get range anxiety are those new to EVs. 6% would have been fine. B roads is great for regen. The Polestar is one of the best, most complete cars I have ever owned and I highly recommend it.

[@andrewd7586]

Great review PP! I’m in Australia & you hit it on the head re “range anxiety”! Hence 400km or 250 miles MUST be accurate! Obviously yes 300-400 miles, 480-640km would be even better! I follow a group of blokes here in Oz, called “Chasing Cars”. Recently they did an EV comparison of 5 models. Tesla, Hyundai being in that group. They literally drove them to “Death”! Completely exhausted their batteries. Of them only one got close to it’s real world claim! Worth a look. Cheers. 👍🏼🇦🇺

[@ultansadventures]

I suppose the range estimate in an EV is no different than the range estimate in an ice car. I have a Hyundai i40, so it has a silly fuel gauge of 8 bars which only change every 40/50 miles (depending on the mood it's in) so I have to go by the range to empty number but that is wildly out, so I will add fuel and it will read 200 miles for example, I'll drive 10 miles and have 175 left. My point is that any advertised range is based on lower speeds in a controlled area where you are not stuck in traffic or getting to do 70mph. E.V.s like ice, slower = further and in the end faster in some cases

[@andrewd7586]

@@ultansadventures Appreciate here in Australia we’ll drive quite long distances in one go. My sister lives some 850km away. My Skoda Superb wagon/estate will get there on a tank consistently. The only stops made are for food & the obvious dunny stop! 😬 🤣

[@bizzie1956]

Brilliant review of a brilliant car keep up the good work Peter

[@PetrolPed]

👍

[@johnbrown3951]

I was looking forward to this review having been thinking of purchasing an I-Pace even putting down a deposit, but after many deliberations I have decided that Electric is not for me and the Polestar sadly has not changed my view on that as yet. 90% of the time it would be perfect but to visit my parents up and down in a day with a return trip of 320 miles is not practical. There are no 50kw or above chargers in the vicinity so I would have to make a detour of 40 miles on the way home in the opposite direction of my intended route. That is not acceptable with the increased cost of the vehicles and Insurance quotes of double my present premium. Sadly it is a non starter but that instant speed is just brilliant.

[@dzerres]

If you're not going to buy the best spec'd EV then buy a British-made I-Pace. Don't buy Chinese.

[@keithevans5667]

Sorry I am late.... played walking football and painted the brake calipers on my Fiat. Now Petrol Ped time ....And love the car 😃 plus yellow seatbelts 😉

[@PetrolPed]

You’ve been busy 👍

[@richardkay1587]

Great review as always Pete. I quite fancy one of these when I decide to change my current car, but pricing may scupper this idea. Hopefully, by the time I'm ready, they will hopefully be within reach price wise.

[@edwyncorteen1527]

Instavolt do have an app but there is no need to use it, they just work with your debit card. Rode do a very good wireless microphone that you can clip on your chest to avoid the sound issue you had on the video.

[@PetrolPed]

I’ve just upgraded to the new Rode Go. Contactless card would work, called InstaVolt and had to register my card 👍

[@georgedaville4662]

Another great review. I like the way you can articulate your stress, (for want of a better word), about range, in a very practical way and demonstrate the way through it using the inbuilt technology. I thought Instavolt was tap by and go? Maybe an early installation? Hate all this touchscreen stuff, very dangerous in my opinion, voice command is the way to go. Did 100k in a Merc E class 2013-16, and used the excellent Linguatronic system from day 1👍 Looks a great motor, far better built than Tesla and with tweaks could be better. 😎

[@PetrolPed]

I thought it was too but had to register my card via the app 👍

[@martinshillitoe4735]

Great review but i would really love to see reviews of the other specs within the range. Not just always the top end. Please let’s see the others too

[@PetrolPed]

Watch my latest video for exactly that 👍

[@naturshoot8448]

Enjoyed the video :) I do despair with manufacturers at the moment and their complete reliance on touch screens. At some point the penny needs to drop that there needs to be a blend of buttons and screens that allows key items be controlled intuitively without having to look at the screen... Voice works for some things, but heating controls and say volume really should have buttons/dials. Another reason I dislike this trend is the cabin light pollution at night. I find it's much better to turn screens off, as with bright touchscreens and ever brighter headlights, it means the dark areas you need to see are just black as your eyes struggle with the dynamic range being asked of them. Maybe that's me getting old :) Designers of these systems should be forced to road test at night and demonstrate easy navigation without taking their eyes off the road for key functions. I'm not convinced many of them ever use their creations in such circumstances! Finally (sorry, close to ranting) I do think some of the screens look like someone's just plonked an iPad there as they can't be bothered to integrate it better. When they do try, it looks so much nicer.

[@SDK2006b]

The Polestar 2 has a volume dial by the gear stick. It’s also has a dial to adjust the brightness of the screen, along with a light sensor for auto night mode and a 5 second press on the lower section of the screen turns it off completely. The sat nav map can be replicated in the driver display screen

[@darrenbarrett5869]

Great review Pete. Keep up the good work. 👍

[@PetrolPed]

Will do 👍

[@reinmansmith]

Another excellent thorough review with a good mixed format 👍 ….. as you said though it is still that price! £60k for what is a mid range car? No matter how good it is it’s overpriced for the average person and there’s many more cars I would rather have for that money

[@SDK2006b]

Polestar have a P2 single motor and lower spec model now from £39k. On your point though - £60k is mid-range price. The higher end EV’s are £100k+ [if a 400bhp, fully loaded car with Nappa Leather, Brembo brakes and adjustable suspension can be classed as mid range 🤔]

[@reinmansmith]

@@SDK2006b yes I appreciate your point that it’s a very well spec’d car, obviously offers excellent performance and clearly in a market where there are plenty of more expensive vehicles it could be considered’midrange’. But for me for £60k I could buy a pretty special car, second hand admittedly but with very low mileage and I just see this type of car as overpriced. But I think all manufacturers are now simply selling to the PCP/monthly fee market and I don’t think the masses will be sold on electric vehicles until they fall into the more affordable bracket….

[@richardsedorski1206]

Great vid will be interesting to see what ev you get.👍👍👍

[@Gdank72]

Below 15deg's I get 200 miles on a 100% charge. On a trip in 20deg's (with over night being 16+ deg's) I can get 240-250 miles range. The GOM is based on average consumption ... which is stupid - all owners learn the hard way to ignore this. However Google is very often very accurate on % arrival. In summer you will get 240+ but 5-15deg's it's 200 miles and below 5deg's it's 180+ miles. As for the cloth parts and wear and tear ... it does mark easily but a wet wipe fixes it in seconds. I've had mine since Nov 2020 and it looks like new still after a quick wet wipe.

[@Treeburnify]

EVs are still too expensive for everyday people, still too annoying and inconvenient until the charging infrastructure is fully established and payment becomes harmonised - why not just plug and pay with a credit card - no apps, no pre-registration, no user data harvesting, just plug in and pay like a petrol fill up. EV is creating problems for itself that just needn’t be there.

[@srspower]

I guess they want you to install the app to gather data on you. The BI is probably worth more to them than the electricity.

[@quatrecheeze]

New installs of public chargers all have to be credit/debit card/contactless

[@iainmackie5079]

well apart from the fact there are now more EV charging stations than petrol stations. And UK legislation is now clear that all new chargepoints must have a PAYG option, ie plug and play with a Credit Card. No apps, no pre-registration, no data harvesting, just plug in and pay like a petrol fill up. But I guess there will always be those that criticise for a fault that is no longer there.

[@MrFatknacker]

Unfortunately the Polestar was not an option from my Company Car leasing company and the iPace was too expensive - took a Mercedes EQC instead which is fast in a straight line but a bit barge like in the twisty stuff, so very much the motorway and A-road cruiser with the instant EV overtake ability. However what is really good about the EQC is the range prediction is really on the money, so you do pretty much get what it says you’re going to get at the start of the journey even when doing motorway miles which does make planning a whole lot easier

[@ianhowatson4818]

Good review again, but 20 inch diamond cut alloy wheels, about as useful as a vinyl roof! They look good in the showroom, but after 12 months they start to look tatty!🤨

[@FootprintPhoto]

Forget KWh calculations, the easiest way to calculate range is multiply your car's percentage (not the orange fictional number) of charge by 2.2 in the summer and about 1.8 in the winter and you wont be far out. Google maps indication or range is also very close to reality when you have a destination put in

[@adrianhetmanski1832]

Was attracted to this car, at first it appeared to tick all the boxes, hatchback, styling, range, power. It was more cramped than i expected (especially in the back), more so than my old Lancer, plastics on back door were hard and cheep, the fake wood was just really cheep plastic with a grain pattern on it, material in the boot was super cheep same as my old lancer but that was 18K when new, and the "leather" is not even in the same league as the ionic5, seat comfort avg at best. Accelerator pedal was weird, kept changing the way it worked, on parking had to press 80% just to go a bit which freaked me out as i thought that was going to slam into the other cars parked across it. For 402hp and awd it felt very underpowered compared to Kia EV6/ionic5. Brakes & steering with catastrophically numb. Suspension was avg at best and small amount of cargo storage with seats up. And why is it that such a small car weighs about 4800 lbs, when a Telsa SUV is 400lbs lighter, and so are the EV6/ioni5 (much bigger lighter vehicles) and much larger than it. Maybe polstar is made from depleted uranium?, and u can feel this in fast the corners, and the dampers are "adjustable" by going behind the tires and twisting stuff, very 1960s, even a 10y old golf could adjust it from the cabin. Pros the touch screen was ok and well laid out but with very dated looking graphics (something from PS2 era), glass roof was nice, and the touch reading flood lights were really cool. Price quoted to me was 20K usd higher than a the AWD ev6 Kia, which had better range, so its a pass.

[@rubyandrenaetheminiatureda6988]

Lovely looking car Peter, and impressive on the track 👌. EVs are definitely getting there, and use of Volvo parts in the interior is not a bad thing. Anyway, all the very best 👍

[@PetrolPed]

👍

[@bobdrago69657]

Have a ‘23 PS2. Great car. Ergonomics are odd, but at 5’7” not too awkward. Build quality is amazing. Just as well put together as my Lexus. Looks like a regular car, which I like and doesn’t attract too much attention, less EV hate and envy, lol.

[@peterkirton4580]

If I had known you were coming I would have come over and said hello as you were just a few miles from my house when you were charging

[@PetrolPed]

No way 😢

[@benjaminsmith2287]

Lots of comments on the range and this and that but what I take from the review is Polestar has made a refined road car. It's not a pure electric car (from a design standpoint) so you can either get one or lease it with that in mind or wait for the pure electric design Polestar 3 or Polestar Precept that is being converted into a production car (and may take a year or 2 before it is available to the public. Either way, this video shows Polestar has the chops to make a great road car.

[@bensharpe2013]

Very enjoyable and professional review Ped. Looks very impressive and a quality product, bit of a pain that you had to stop mid journey though. Changed your mind on the Model Y yet? P.S Android for FTW :-)

[@PetrolPed]

Lucky to have a longer termer at the moment so can put the Model Y on the back burner. Plus we still can’t order them in the UK 😢

[@alasdairwilson4806]

Stunning car,looks really good.Great review.

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 👍

[@ChristianWayne12]

I love these videos ! Good job ped !

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 👍

[@global_nomad.]

nice overview with the different situations...guess any journey can throw your plans with something unexpected but should not be the data from the car really...companies still stuck with marketing to range anxiety rather than truth. Would be good to compare to a non ohlins version to see where the ride quality is coming from.

[@id70b40]

Love the style…. Lots of Volvo influences/ parts I notice. I think as battery technology continues to improve, range anxiety will become less and less. EV car batteries / range in 5-8 yrs time will likely be so much improved on today’s EVs

[@dzerres]

So you are saying we should wait 5-8 years for Polestar (Chinese, not Swedish) to catch up with the leader in EVs? Okay, I agree.

[@AWMI]

As a cyclist it’s so good to know a bike can fit in the back! My polestar is already on order but I had a nightmare trying to figure out if my bike would fit. Shame this video didn’t exist before I put my order in, but still really helpful to know it’ll go in with both wheels on.

[@PetrolPed]

And mine is a big bike with very high saddle 😂

[@FootprintPhoto]

I've had the Polestar since Nov last year and in the winter you will get about 190 on a full charge and about 220 in the summer. The figure shown in orange as you get in is like supermodel . . .great to look at but unachievable.

[@Adrimo911]

Just in time to watch on my way home

[@marcoj9420]

My 2 cents: For anyone who will go for this car. Please get the nappa leather option. The standard seats are made out of wetsuit material. In winter totally fine. In summer you will find yourself soaked in the seat.

[@pcr8918]

Totally agree. Unfortunately I personally couldn’t live with the firm ride so sold on after three months. V disappointed as otherwise such a well built car with all the bells and whistles. Envious of the majority who find it works well for them. I would still strongly recommend.

[@pmgsussex]

There is a lot I like about the Polestar 2, mainly the drivability plus quality and design cf Tesla Y. if an adequate fast public charger network developed in the UK over the next few years and covered less populated areas of the UK I could even live with the reduced range cf Tesla

[@EverythingCarsandMoreECAM]

In the pictures I always thought it was like a saloon but I have seen one in person and it looks like an SUV saloon. I don’t know how to explain it but it looks tall enough to be an suv but shaped like a saloon. It’s strange. I too like it though.

[@alexmartin7365]

Hi Pete nice video content really enjoyed it mate more EV please, just for interest what where the sunglasses you were wearing. Cheers

[@PetrolPed]

Oakley Latch Alpha 👍

[@davidnarain8783]

Love the Schnauzer in the video!

[@PetrolPed]

👍

[@EVinstructor]

Have to ask, why did you have to register on an app for the Instavolt charger? They are usually the easiest to use with a contactless bank card and no need for an app.

[@PetrolPed]

It would take my card until I had registered it with InstaVolt either through web or app 🤷‍♂️ I called the number and was told to register 👍

[@brumsgrub8633]

On the intro Ped, you look really excited about this car, i mean really excited 😅🤣

[@PetrolPed]

I was 👍

[@britishminiclub]

Great review Pete. Very curious to see what the Polestar is like. Still seems to have range stress though but looks a great drivers car 👍

[@lewisjenkins8238]

When I first got an EV (Polestar 2) 9 months ago I had range anxiety for about a month. Once you have learnt about range, how and when to charge (it is a different mindset) then the anxiety goes. Most people stop for 10-20 minutes on a longer journey anyway so it is fine in most circumstances. You quickly adapt to the different way of thinking and when I say different, I don't mean better or worse, just different.

[@filiped7298]

Great review. As an EV owner myself, I must say that the range really suffers on motorways. With experience, you’ll learn that. That being said, I really think an EV suits you Peter. Cheers

[@PetrolPed]

Thanks 😜

[@neiljay]

Enjoyable review ! Quick Qu - what range might you have got on track ? I'm guessing between 50 - 80 miles ?

[@PetrolPed]

Not sure to be honest but much less 😬😂

[@grahamtricker4103]

A lovely looking car. I would go with the 2 wheel drive option. Can't see why you would need the 420HP 4 wheel drive option in todays world. The 2 wheel drive option would have got you to the destination without having to stop. Can't understand why they don't offer a black leather interior or a glass roof delete and most importantly, it's a shame they couldn't have integrated that iPad type screen into the dashboard. I hate car interiors with iPad type screens just stuck onto the dashboard. I think these types of dashboard with so many controls incorporated are mega dangerous as it means taking your eyes off the road which is the last thing any driver should be doing...

[@doggiehowzer]

I believe the Ohlins is tuned for street driving for the different countries that the car is sold so the UK one would have a different tune

[@nxsynjs]

I think many of the issues people have with BEV is, is it’s not just a change of motive power. It’s a complete change in the way of thinking required, for example, the comment regarding stated range not matching manufactures figures or indeed what is indicated. That is no difference to ICE cars, since when did an ICE car match the Mpg in normal driving, or the range given in the fuel tank not change over the time of the journey. I think people think because it’s an EV somehow it is immune to some of the factors that ICE cars have. The change in thinking required is to know where it’s the same, and how to use the differences to your advantage. An EV won’t work if you go into it with a ICE mindset, and an ICE wont work if you go into it with an EV mindset. So perhaps a video (maybe try and collaborate with fully charged) of how and what these differences in mindset are would more useful than a car review as they are common to all EV’s

[@PetrolPed]

I appreciate that but other EVs manage to get the range prediction more accurate 👍

[@guylambrechts2303]

Styling is not too far off from our XC60. What if they produced it with half the power and a bit more range?

[@PetrolPed]

Good point 👍

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

Good looking car. Badge looks a lot like the DS badge Sad about the range But electric has a long way to go yet.

[@nikbuckingham1132]

The backseat and the little hump on the rear floor pan (were they just being lazy and using old Volvo parts with room for axles?) are kind of a deal breaker.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

They weren't being lazy. This car actually is the Volvo Concept 40.2 and the XC40 is the Volvo 40.1. They are exactly the same platform, the CMA platform, and it is kind of compromised that it is a hybrid/electric shared platform. It's not pure EV so that's the reason for the hump in the rear floor pan. And the Volvo parts aren't old, they're the same parts that are on the most current Volvo. Now, the next level of Polestars starting with the Polestar 3 will not have any of these compromises but Polestars will be full of Volvo parts because they are on shared platforms with Volvo.

[@tubaterry]

Mine's scheduled for delivery on Tuesday! It's probably not gonna be long before it hits the track too :D

[@PetrolPed]

Awesome. Enjoy 👍

[@alexwhitehead5216]

Is it me or is the lapel mic you’re using sounding a bit peaky and harsh? Just sounds like it’s clipping? Hard to explain but when you’re talking outside of the car it sounds worse than sitting inside. Maybe the wind/external outside noise not helping? Not a big thing but noticed it recently 👍🏼 still very much enjoying the vids and the channel

[@DamoDrives]

It’s certainly clipping (using lav mic) and the mic in the car is a rode video Go shotgun mic

[@PetrolPed]

I’m having a mare with audio at the moment. Just ordered an upgrade 👍

[@alexwhitehead5216]

@@PetrolPed Ah ok. Just thought I’d mention it. Looking forward to hearing the difference 👍🏼 Keep up the good work 💯

[@Wol747]

This is obviously not a car for city-only use, which makes its range a big negative. Bladder anxiety is the limit in practice, so a range in the order of 350m (to allow for a decent reserve) should be the minimum for a vehicle aimed at this market, plus ease of charging.

[@srspower]

The polestar could get more range by more than just having more batteries. They are quite far behind Tesla I think in efficiency ie: the way tesla does heating now. But I'm interested in how it handled on the track for you. So many people say they will be crap on the track but since all the weight, albeit a lot of it, is in the floor and evenly distributed it should handle better than any normal car does. And as batteries improve EV's will get lighter too.

[@sandersson2813]

More batteries equal more weight. I'd rather have this than a Tesla though. It's far better looking and you're not giving money to that twat Musk. The Tesla looks boring by comparison

[@SeanPowell]

The Polestar now has the option of a heat pump in its 'Plus Pack' which brings along the Pano roof and some other bits. Will help range on cooler days

[@johnnybone1972]

It looks nice, I'm not ready to get an EV yet.

[@yellowa4725]

You will have driven past our showroom a few miles down the A49 from the Instavolt charger at the Ok Diner.

[@nikbuckingham1132]

Mean front, then you get to the back and it's like "Wah wah"

[@davidperry3531]

Hi Pete, T shirt in England - it must be hot there! Impressive car but in Australia I can travel 1000 kms on a tankful of premium in my BMW 330i. Why would I risk it in a EV when the chances of finding a charging station in the country is virtually nil. That’s one reason why sales of EVs in Australia are stagnant.

[@PetrolPed]

Boiling 🥵

[@johns14a]

Quite a handsome looking car this and looks lovely on the inside. If only it had a bit more real-world range...

[@taserpulse]

Yes!

[@andyking6061]

Great looking car, with a decent turn of speed. Love the idea of an EV, and would probably suit my lifestyle fine, however cost is a concern. Not sure what type of car will be next for me. There will be so much change in the hybrid/phev/electric market in the next few years, I’d be really concerned about residual values. Same could be said about petrol and diesel though. #confused

[@Jean-de-lune]

Very good review of the Polestar. For the price (by no means cheap) you are getting a well-thought-out interior with a pleasing exterior to go with it. Shut lines look well-engineered and the diamond-cut wheels very sharp. The test ride seemed quick but well controlled and I assume the suspension had been to your needs even though the majority of drivers will never alter the settings. Would I buy it? Probably not for the money as my diesel 1.6i Honda HR-V does the job and returns an average 55mpg. Worth bearing in mind though for potential replacement. How the average punter might afford this is a question I would ask.

[@AndrewLumsden]

Great review thanks! If and when they bring out an estate - V90/V70 equivalent, only then will I get one. All the manufacturers are so fixated with SUVs and hatchbacks.

[@PetrolPed]

That would be awesome 👍

[@ultansadventures]

MG 5ev is the only estate ev. Gets over 200 miles from a smaller battery that this because it's lower and lighter (and to my eye is larger than the polestar). Maybe not as cool, handsome or trendy, but a great workhorse for hauling the dogs and weekly shopping. And when you have small kids, I would rather see them mash food and muck into the seats of 25k car than a 55k one. SUVs, big wheels and mega power are great in a showroom but not for range and young families

[@AndrewLumsden]

@@ultansadventures Yes I'm aware of the MG, but as is said in many reviews, it is a SMALL estate. The rear seats do not fold down FLAT unlike the V70 which I have currently. The MG is just a total non starter. I need the load capacity of the V70, I don't have dogs.

[@markscars1069]

So what would have happened if when arriving at the Instavolt on the outbound journey, they both were occupied? You'd have been even later or had to go looking for another charger and again then, arrived in Wales even later. I'm not interested in EVs until I can pull into ANY station as I can now with my petrol car and be 99% GUARANTEED to be able to pull up, plug in, and charge. And in 10 mins. I'm not bothered too much about range anxiety per se because I've never ran cars which are very fuel efficient. But what I do want is ease of use and being able to charge or recharge at short notice and with minimum impact to the journey. And we're a long way for that, as your excellent vids prove. Not too concerned about the prices of the current crop of EVs, either. New tech always costs money. As strange as it sounds, when the motor car was new 110 years ago, it cost a fortune relative to what people earned at the time... Just to add though, in terms of then into the future when I expect I will HAVE to buy one of these - I'd have this over a Tesla all day long. Far nicer interior (scratchy plastics notwithstanding) and exterior design which IMHO will age far better than Tesla. Edit - And a slight whinge. EVs do not have throttles (because they don't actually have throttles :) ) - they have accelerator pedals :)

[@SDK2006b]

That’s why you use the charging apps to identify the available chargers before you get to them ⚡️

[@markscars1069]

@@SDK2006b My point was my current vehicle permits me to replenish its fuel 99% guaranteed whenever and pretty much wherever I want. Apps have been repeatedly proven to be fallible, arriving at chargers to find them out of order, or in another location. Ease of use is key for me. I simply don’t have the inclination to plan a journey between recharging points. I am not an early adopter. Perhaps you are. I guess when the car was new, I’d have still been on the horse until guys like yourself blazed the trail, and suffered the pain, such that others like me could benefit...

[@SDK2006b]

@@markscars1069 - For some there is pain, mostly those which are less organised. For others it's actually less painful than owning an ICE car

[@Sweepdog700]

Nice car. Was waiting for this one.

[@PetrolPed]

👍

[@kinross24]

Not sure if you’ve figured out yet that the range estimated on EV’s is both based on you driving at or below speed limits en route as well as you not having a heavy right foot and compares it all to how the last drive was before your journey. Then there’s weather, was there a head wind ? Of course, all I’ve drivers also have to contend with all of the above with the fuel level and ‘recommended’ mpg and that rarely ever is met. All the above will also affect range of petrol mpg/range. But when some cars can only get 150 miles on a tank of petrol (Focus RS) etc, you never hear about this