Polestar 2

While on a recent work trip, I was fortunate to be allocated my first Electric Vehicle (EV), the Polestar 2. This is a subsidiary company under Volvo, and the Polestar is very similar in configuration to the XC40, even sharing the same CMA architecture as the Volvo XC40 and C40 Recharge, and also made in the same Chinese factory.

My vehicle was the front wheel Drive (FWD) single motor version outputting 170 kW of power. The power delivery was quite sedate, smoothly providing what was needed. This won’t win any drag races at the lights with your rice burner mates, but it’ll get to 100km/h in a respectable 7.4 seconds. Range isn’t too bad either at around 478km if the planets are aligned and you sacrificed a chicken to the Gods Of Range Anxiety.

The interior is very well laid out, although strangely it has a centre hump as if it thought it needed room for a gearbox and drive train. Weird.

Software consists of Android Automotive (not to be confused with Android Auto), and this is the beating heart of the user experience by providing the dashboard display and filling out the 11.2” centre mounted display. This allows a configurable display in front of the driver with a number of different layouts. Use of Google Maps will also display navigation right in front of the driver (see image), surrounded by your speed and range. CarPlay is on option though, and a grateful addition that Tesla could take note of (and the inclusion of a driver dash please Elon while we’re on the subject).

Is this my next car? Well, maybe. I can assure you, dear reader, that I won’t be ever buying another internal combustion engine (ICE) car again. My beloved Mazda Mx-5 ND will be the last of an era. But the Polestar 2 will be for the wife as her primary car. So if I can convince her, then this may very well be my next car (well, hers).