Polestar 2...

[polsebubraten]

I have an early reservation for the the Polestar 2, and also one for the Skoda Vision IV. Yesterday I went to have a look at the Polestar, which is currently on display close by. Definitely looks "sharp" both outside and inside. Since it both has tow-hitch and possibilities for carrying payload on top of the roof, if might be sufficiently big for the needs of a family. Possibly I will go for the Polestar even over the Skoda, and certainly over the Model 3. (Personal needs/preferences). I also like the fact that the Polestar is a product of Europe/China cooperation.
BTW: Top Gear's review of the Polestar: Polestar 2

 

[M109Rider]

I'll explain the reason why I choose to reserve a Polestar 2 over a Model 3.
I live near Montréal, where we have very rough winters with lots of rapid temperature changes generating complex weather phenomenons.
Cars are often frozen in the morning and lots of abrasives and chemicals are scattered on road.

Which means that, for me,...

1) Fancy door handle design is nonsense. Physics learned us that a lever amplifies an input force to provide a greater output force. In the case of the Model 3 (and some other luxury cars), it's the other way around. The door handle is designed against the user, who needs to put lots of force on the smallest portion of the lever to free the longer portion from the ice.
2) Frameless windows are a deal breaker. Windows here are often frozen, on a regular car it's not a big deal but Model 3 needs to lower the window to allow the door to open. No thanks.
3) Body protection. The Polestar 2 has plastic trims all around the bottom of the car. This protects the pain from debris projection and salt. Many canadian Model 3 owners reported fenders sandblasted to the metal after one winter. Rust beginning to show up within the first year of ownership.
4) Charge port design. The Model 3 seems to have lots of frozen charge port door problems. Insufficient sealing, motorized door, and motorized latch, all prone to ice problems. Polestar 2 has a huge seal and is opened by hand. Not flashy-techy but proven design.

Before you reply, no, pre-heating the car does not solve these problems.

Which car has more range or acceleration doesn't matter a lot to me.
I just want to be able to enter the car when I want, charge it when I want and not visit the bodyshop after each winter.

I respect Tesla for pushing the envelope, forcing other manufacturers to join the electric revolution.
But many design aspect are too much form-over-function for my taste and needs.

I’m not commenting on your decision to chose the Polestar over the Model 3.
It’s good to see you’re going electric.

Your concerns about the frameless windows and handles sticking are valid. Although, preheating does work, so that’s not totally accurate. It’s also not that big of a deal when they get sticky to fix. Not enough that I would chose the Polestar. (That’s my opinion).

I will say your comments about the sand blasting and rust seems exaggerated. I drive in salt covered roads all winter long, and after my first winter, I have no signs of sandblasting at all. I’ve also never seen another model 3 with this problem here.

I also think the frozen charge port has been addressed by Tesla with a physical update to that port. Even without the update, I haven’t had it freeze. I don’t think it’s as big a deal now as a result.

Again, I’m not trying to argue which car is better. That’s your choice. I just think some of your comments are arguing an exaggerated extreme.

 

[ljbad4life]

I got to see the Polestar 2 and sit in it! It was on display here in NYC as part of their tour. I should have taken pictures. I think it will be a hit. It is a mainstream ev, looks good. It is a fastback which is something I wanted on my model 3.

Loves:
Fastback
Exterior Styling

Likes:
Interior

Dislikes:
Front truck- just big enough for the charging cable
Shapes of the opening for the trunk
Range given the battery size

 

[cometguy]

I am not yet a BEV owner but am surveying the market closely, and will probably buy a BEV in the next 2-3 years as so many more models become available; I haven't liked the limited choices available so far, for various reasons. I have over a year's experience driving a PHEV as a daily driver and plugging in every night for a full charge every morning, and my wife wants to get the RAV4 Prime when it comes out this summer. We do a lot of long-distance driving and aren't ready yet for the hassles of public charging, but we know the tremendous benefits of driving all-electric locally.

Anyway, our household has had a Volvo continuously for over three decades, so Polestar 2 is something I'm looking closely at; it strongly resembles the current Volvo S90 sedan both inside and out. Volvo seats are known for being very comfortable. One thing that Polestar 2 has copied from Tesla is the "computer tablet glued to the dashboard" for an infotainment screen, which I strongly dislike -- and one reason I won't buy a Tesla (even though I have tremendous respect for Tesla, have driven a Model S, and know lots of Tesla owners who love their cars). I prefer the instrument panel and integrated screens that the Taycan has, for example.

But, back to the thread at hand: As a Volvo owner, I have a good understanding and respect for Volvo products. The fit-and-finish quality is very good. Their weakest points in recent years have been electronics (including computer stuff), unfortunately; I given them credit for throwing out their horrible Sensus infotainment system and integrating fully (this year and next, including in Polestar 2) the new Google OS infotainment system that will include Google Maps. Another thing I like in Polestar 2 that I've not seen in other cars is a panoramic roof (which like Tesla's does not open, and which I like) with the big difference being that it is electrochromic "smart" glass that can be dimmed with bright sunlight; I'm not sure how it dims (i.e., whether the driver has control over that) and by how much (i.e., whether it can go totally opaque or not), but this is something I definitely want if I'm going to have a glass roof.

And I've been hearing scary things about Teslas having updates automatically over the air that owners don't want/need, and which sometimes leaves people "stranded", even. And I've been hearing that as more Teslas are owned in the US, there are longer service waits for parts and servicing. The other issue for me, as a PHEV owner, is that I don't carry charging cables with me, and I have only charged at home or at the dealership. I don't care to hassle with public charging until it's much more advanced than now. So when I buy my first BEV, it will not be for road trips but rather for the 11 months of the year that I'm driving around home, with no planned roundtrips outside of the battery pack's range. We'll keep a vehicle with an ICE for the coming decade to supplement any BEV for those longer out-of-town trips, so range anxiety (and public-charging anxiety) won't be an issue for us. Thus, the Polestar 2's (or Taycan's) lesser range (vs. Tesla's) won't be a factor in our choices of a BEV.

 

[Takumi]

Right now the supercharger network has a big lead on the CCS network. It would also appear that Electrify America is building new CCS stations at a pretty decent pace.

It will be interesting a year from now to see if Tesla can keep that lead or if CCS narrows that lead.

Tesla will always have that lead. Tesla can gain access to CCS with just an adapter. But as time goes on, at least in the US, it'll probably go like this. First Look At EVgo Fast Charging With New Built-In Tesla Connector

 

[ljbad4life]

Tesla will always have that lead. Tesla can gain access to CCS with just an adapter. But as time goes on, at least in the US, it'll probably go like this. First Look At EVgo Fast Charging With New Built-In Tesla Connector

From what I've read, that's just a Tesla Chademo adapter bolted to the charger. It still maxes out at ~50kw for charging, which is the same as the tesla chademo adapter. The real key would be the Tesla ccs adapter being brought over from Europe. That would make any tesla compatible with any charger (through an adapter of course).

One thing I've noticed is that Polestar refuses to release what's the dc charging rate. I have a feeling it's 100kw or less. If it was higher, it would definitely be bragging about it.

 

[Lokolo]

I got to see the Polestar 2 and sit in it! It was on display here in NYC as part of their tour. I should have taken pictures. I think it will be a hit. It is a mainstream ev, looks good. It is a fastback which is something I wanted on my model 3.

Loves:
Fastback
Exterior Styling

Likes:
Interior

Dislikes:
Front truck- just big enough for the charging cable
Shapes of the opening for the trunk
Range given the battery size

How did you feel about the interior room? When I sat in it, I felt quite snug. I wasn't uncomfortable (5ft9, 80kg), but I thought if I was a bit bigger it might be a bit too small. You could say there is a lack of accessories in my current car which is why it's quite open, but I wouldn't have minded a little more room to the side.

Although that was my only downfall of it. It was lovely. Don't care much for the frunk.

 

[ljbad4life]

How did you feel about the interior room? When I sat in it, I felt quite snug. I wasn't uncomfortable (5ft9, 80kg), but I thought if I was a bit bigger it might be a bit too small. You could say there is a lack of accessories in my current car which is why it's quite open, but I wouldn't have minded a little more room to the side.

Although that was my only downfall of it. It was lovely. Don't care much for the frunk.

It was a bit snug. I felt like the flat roof line dug into head room a bit. I also felt like the pillars are a bit over padded, which took up space too. I'm 5'11 and it was a perfect fit. The back was a bit tight, with that said, it's what I would expect from this class vehicle. The Model 3 is a bit roomier with better head room than I expected.

The way the screen is laid out, the lower roof line, the high hood all give a feeling that it's tighter than it is.

 

[Hippogrief]

One thing I've noticed is that Polestar refuses to release what's the dc charging rate. I have a feeling it's 100kw or less. If it was higher, it would definitely be bragging about it.

It is 150 kW. The charge curve is less agressive than the etron curve (they don't mention the etron).

 

[jas]

Have you considered the Volvo XC40 Recharge?

 

[Kandiru]

Volvo has tons of glitches with their Sensus touchscreen, bugs galore. Geely has made sure cheap parts abound and all EU suppliers were fired. Quality down, way down.

 

[jas]

I believe Volvo is now using the Android operating system now.