Polestar 2 unveiled today

[Brokinarrow]

The Polestar 2

Watched the unveiling video, it looks ok... not a fan of the grill up front, but the rest of the design is pretty sharp. Interior looks great.

Exterior color options are a bit dull, and they seem to have two different shades of dark grey available? Odd choice that...

They're also partnering with Google to have their Assistant built in, along with the ability to load apps from the Google Play store, which I think is a great move.

Wish they'd give more details on their charging options... also specs showing for their "intro price" of $63,000 are already below Model 3s specs at the same price point, though I'm guessing this intro price probably includes their auto-pilot equivalent. I can't find anything that specifies that or even really talks about their driver assistance stuff, other than a mention of emergency braking and steering in the slide deck during the presentation.

The headlight tech seems pretty cool as well, though how well it works in real world situations will remain to be seen.

Anyway, while the specs don't quite beat the Model 3 LR AWD, I could definitely see people preferring the Polestar 2 for interior aesthetics and the Google interface... with a big caveat being those charging infrastructure questions. And of course availability in general, as they appeared to only show stores in certain areas on East and West coast for the US.

 

[mikevbf]

I watched the unveiling video. I like that the company/brand is serious about making compelling electric cars. My first guesses to Polstar 2's advantages over the Model 3 are:
1) A much more practical hatch;
2) Probably quieter interior with more comfortable (less bumpy) drive;
3) Probably better digital integration in terms of media player and maybe maps;
4) Yeah, those headlights;
5) Maybe more comfortable seats;
6) Higher ground clearance;
7) Just the right number of buttons for better user experience without overwhelm clutter of today's car interiors;
8) Maybe a better service network;
9) 2 screens like the S, but cheaper.
The Model 3's advantages:
1) Mass produced and available now;
2) An established well functioning charging network;
3) Will probably have cheaper variants for a while;
4) Probably more nimble better driving dynamics;
5) More color choices;
6) Probably more efficient;
7) 5 seats over 4.

Personally I would get Polstar over the Model 3 because of the hatch, price, and clearance if:
1) It were available where I lived,
2) It had a well developed reliable fast charging network,
3) and had a bench seat for 3 in the back.

I see Polestar eventually solving the first 2 but not the third because of the battery pack design. And by the time they solve the first two, the Model Y will be available which I will probably want more. So I will probably never personally own the Polestar 2, but I am glad there are more choices.

 

[Cheburashka]

Made in China? I'll pass.

Have lived in a country where Chinese cars were sold. They are all junk and generally unsafe. The amount of shortcuts taken during production, the use of questionable materials is astronomical. Hard pass!

 

[30seconds]

real competition with be with the Model Y

 

[Cosmacelf]

Ajny idea of availability?

 

[ohmman]

Interesting. Looks pretty decent, definitely not a weird mobile and much more in line with what standard consumers are accustomed to buying.

Polestar, though? I had a friend who dated a polestar. He broke up with her because his family wasn't very accepting of his choice.

 

[Merrill]

As far as I’m concerned this is one of the best looking Volvo’s ever made, not a fan of the XC series.

 

[mikevbf]

Ajny idea of availability?

The unvail indicated they would sell the Polestar only in California in the US and the configurator estimated July 2020 deliveries.

 

[Brokinarrow]

I see Polestar eventually solving the first 2 but not the third because of the battery pack design.

Yeah, that is definitely one of the biggest things that makes me hesitate on any EV outside of Tesla... their battery tech has proven over the years to be pretty reliable. Would hate to drop $50k+ on a new car only to have the battery degrade rapidly =/

 

[demivee]

Pretty great car and I'm glad it's coming to marked (eventually) but I keep seeing comparisons to the Model 3, which I don't think is the right move.

I know that it seems to be in about the same class, but it seems like it's a different vehicle for a different audience. Also, the price is a bit higher for less of the things that I find important: range/efficiency, charging capability and driver assist/self-driving tech. I'm not sure I understand how it has more battery capacity accompanied by a sizeable range hit, but not everyone can get the efficiency that Tesla does I suppose.

Despite the core things being "lesser" I love the Android integration. The possibility of downloading apps for my tech-y car both excites and terrifies me and I think it's a huge step towards one aspect of the future of personal transportation. I can't wait for them to start making them so I can go play with it in the dealership/find someone who gets one. I also really like the interior, which surprised me because I thought my M3 changed my taste in vehicle interiors permanently.. this seems to be pulling me back a bit

 

[Scott7]

Even though I think the Android software would be an improvement over a typical car where the software is barely beyond “utter garbage”, I personally would not want anything from Google embedded in any car I buy. This is the world’s largest advertising comany that makes all their money harvesting peoples private data in order to target ads. Shouldn’t google be paying ME to have their system in my car and not the other way around?

I realize I’m in the minority of people who seem to care about privacy anymore (sigh), but that single aspect alone would probably be a deal breaker for me on this car.

The other thing is it’s specs don’t even match what Tesla already delivered a year ago and the affordable version of this car is still 2 years out. Tesla isn’t going to sit still for the next 2 years.

 

[CarlK]

Looking at the car and the price it is another non-factor.

I-Pace is introducing zero interest financing. Looks it is having trouble to sell the car which is not surprising.

 

[jsmay311]

Yeah, that is definitely one of the biggest things that makes me hesitate on any EV outside of Tesla... their battery tech has proven over the years to be pretty reliable. Would hate to drop $50k+ on a new car only to have the battery degrade rapidly =/

As have most other EVs outside of the Leaf.

It’s not rocket science to make a battery pack last. Don’t use s***ty cells, keep the temperatures regulated, don’t over-charge or over-discharge, and keep charge and discharge rates within specs.

Any company competent enough to make a decent car should have no problem making a decent battery pack as long as they don’t try to cheap out on liquid cooling.

 

[Kandiru]

I would not touch it with a pole, just go on swedespeed.com and read about the horrible touchscreen beta testing experiences of XC90 owners.

 

[notAnExpert]

I would not touch it with a pole, just go on swedespeed.com and read about the horrible touchscreen beta testing experiences of XC90 owners.

That seems rather harsh We own an XC90 and a Model 3. We have had quite a pleasant experience with the XC90 touchscreen. I also follow swedespeed. I know that early on in the product cycle, there were some reports of random screen reboots. And XC90 screen takes about 30 seconds to fully function after the car is started. Other than that, I can't recollect any pattern of mass complaints about the XC90 touchscreen experience on swedespeed.

I see a lot more posts of issues with Model 3 here on TMC than about XC90 issues on swedespeed. Of course, that's not a fair comparison because Model 3 has sold a lot more than XC90s. In general, I don't think the XC90 screen is any less stable than the Model 3. We like both cars.

 

[KJD]

It looks to be direct competition for the Model Y to me. If Tesla is as slow as usual in rolling out new models, this car might do pretty well in the marketplace.

The CCS network is growing at a decent pace around here.

 

[meomyo]

wow reminds me of a chevy volt or bolt in style.