The Polestar 2 is a sleek, high performance, all-electric hatchback, disguised as a saloon
Quick Stats
- Vehicle type: 100% electric
- Number of seats: 5 seats
- Body shape: Hatchback / saloon
- Official WLTP range: from 322 to 406 miles
- Average range: from 264 to 333 miles
- Maximum Rapid DC charging rate: from 135 to 205 kW
- Price: from £44,950 to £57,950
Overview
The Polestar 2 is the first all-electric car from Geely-Volvo-Polestar, a Chinese-Swedish motor group, and it has just had a refresh (2024 model). In case you’re wondering , their second pure EV is the Polestar 3 – no originality here in naming convention.
It’s a direct challenge to the dominance of the Tesla Model 3. The two cars have many similarities, but the 2 has the advantage of a more practical hatchback boot to the Model 3’s saloon format (see the Model Y for Tesla’s hatchback option).
The Polestar 2 comes in either rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive configuration.
You also have two battery options to choose from; the larger one offering tons of range.
As you’ll see below, there are various trims available which can be combined with the different battery sizes and drivetrains, providing plenty of choice.
In the front, the Polestar 2 feels a bit like a cockpit – you nestle snugly into your seats ready for action. It’s plush and classy. There’s a large central touchscreen in portrait which controls nearly all of the car’s features. Alternatively, you can use your voice via Google Assistant to issue commands.
Two rear passengers fit in fine, left and right, but there is a hump on the floor in the centre which would annoy a middle passenger.
How does it perform on the road? It drives really well. Acceleration is powerful and instant. Roll is minimal due to a low centre of gravity (heavy batteries help, too). Suspension can feel quite hard, but if you fancy yourself as a ‘driver’, you’ll love the ride.
Storage? Pretty good boot size and cargo volume with the seats down – full specs below.
In summary, the Polestar 2 is an accomplished, stylish, quick, desirable, saloon-shaped hatchback that you will love.
Trim / Variant | Price | Drivetrain |
Standard Range Single Motor | £44,950 | Rear-wheel-drive |
Long Range Single Motor | £48,950 | Rear-wheel-drive |
Long Range Dual Motor | £52,950 | All-wheel-drive |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | £57,950 | All-wheel-drive |
Polestar 2 Range & Batteries
How far can you drive on a full charge of the battery in the Polestar 2? In ideal conditions, you should be able to achieve the official ‘WLTP’ range in miles. However in winter, for example, electric car batteries don’t perform as well, and actual range will be lower.
This table shows both the more optimistic WLTP range, and a rough, more likely ‘average’ range for the various versions of the Polestar 2:
Trim / Variant | Battery (useable) | Average Range | WLTP Range |
Standard Range Single Motor | 67 kWh | 264 miles | 322 miles |
Long Range Single Motor | 79 kWh | 333 miles | 406 miles |
Long Range Dual Motor | 79 kWh | 301 miles | 367 miles |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 79 kWh | 301 miles | 367 miles |
Efficiency
We are all used to ‘miles per gallon’ of petrol or diesel when thinking about efficiency in traditional cars. With EVs, you need to replace ‘gallon’ with ‘kWh’. 1 kWh = 1 unit of electricity. So the ‘miles per kWh’ measure tells you how many miles you can go on 1 kWh of electricity – the higher the number the better.
Here’s data for the Polestar 2, together with an equivalent in miles per gallon (yes, electric cars really are that efficient!):
Trim / Variant | Efficiency (electric) | Efficiency ('MPG') |
Standard Range Single Motor | 3.94 miles per kWh | 158 miles per gallon |
Long Range Single Motor | 4.21 miles per kWh | 169 miles per gallon |
Long Range Dual Motor | 3.81 miles per kWh | 152 miles per gallon |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 3.81 miles per kWh | 152 miles per gallon |
Charging Times & Costs
If you have off-street parking, the best and cheapest place to charge your Polestar 2 is at home. Depending on your home energy tariff, you’ll either charge at a standard flat rate or at a lower off-peak rate. The 0-100% charge times below are a ‘worst case’ scenario – typically you will charge 1-2 hours a day, or maybe go for a longer charge on just a couple of days a week.
Charging at Home on an Off-peak rate of 10p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Charge Time 0-100% | Cost per mile |
Standard Range Single Motor | 9 hours 3 minutes | 2.5p |
Long Range Single Motor | 10 hours 41 minutes | 2.4p |
Long Range Dual Motor | 10 hours 41 minutes | 2.6p |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 10 hours 41 minutes | 2.6p |
Charging at Home on a Peak rate of 34p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Charge Time 0-100% | Cost per mile |
Standard Range Single Motor | 9 hours 3 minutes | 8.6p |
Long Range Single Motor | 10 hours 41 minutes | 8.1p |
Long Range Dual Motor | 10 hours 41 minutes | 8.9p |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 10 hours 41 minutes | 8.9p |
When you’re on a trip, you can get a quick boost at a rapid charger. These vary in terms of charging speed and you are also limited by the Polestar 2’s maximum charging rate. Take the 10-80% charging times with a pinch of salt – the charging rate will gradually decrease and times are often longer.
Charging in Public at a 50 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 50p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Max DC charge | Charge Time 10-80% | Cost per mile |
Standard Range Single Motor | 135 kW | 56 minutes | 12.7p |
Long Range Single Motor | 205 kW | 1 hour 7 minutes | 11.9p |
Long Range Dual Motor | 205 kW | 1 hour 7 minutes | 13.1p |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 205 kW | 1 hour 7 minutes | 13.1p |
Charging in Public at a 150 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 60p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Max DC charge | Charge Time 10-80% | Cost per mile |
Standard Range Single Motor | 135 kW | 21 minutes | 15.2p |
Long Range Single Motor | 205 kW | 22 minutes | 14.2p |
Long Range Dual Motor | 205 kW | 22 minutes | 15.8p |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 205 kW | 22 minutes | 15.8p |
Charging in Public at a 350 kW Rapid Charger at a rate of 70p per kWh
Trim / Variant | Max DC charge | Charge Time 10-80% | Cost per mile |
Standard Range Single Motor | 135 kW | 21 minutes | 17.8p |
Long Range Single Motor | 205 kW | 16 minutes | 16.6p |
Long Range Dual Motor | 205 kW | 16 minutes | 18.4p |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 205 kW | 16 minutes | 18.4p |
Performance
The Polestar 2, like all pure electric cars, has its wheels turned by one or more electric motors. The motors themselves are powered by a lithium-ion battery. Battery + electric motor is a great combination, giving you instant torque with no gears to change.
You’ll find the Polestar 2 eerily quiet after an internal combustion engine. Here are the performance stats:
Trim / Variant | Top Speed | 0-62 mph |
Standard Range Single Motor | 127 mph | 6.4 seconds |
Long Range Single Motor | 127 mph | 6.1 seconds |
Long Range Dual Motor | 127 mph | 4.6 seconds |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 127 mph | 4.2 seconds |
Boot Space & Cargo Volume
Trim / Variant | Boot Space | Cargo Volume (seats down) |
Standard Range Single Motor | 405 litres | 1,095 litres |
Long Range Single Motor | 405 litres | 1,095 litres |
Long Range Dual Motor | 405 litres | 1,095 litres |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 405 litres | 1,095 litres |
Dimensions
Trim / Variant | Length | Width | Height |
Standard Range Single Motor | 4606 mm | 1859 mm | 1479 mm |
Long Range Single Motor | 4606 mm | 1859 mm | 1479 mm |
Long Range Dual Motor | 4606 mm | 1859 mm | 1479 mm |
Long Range Dual Motor Performance | 4606 mm | 1859 mm | 1473 mm |
Next Steps
We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief analysis of the Polestar 2. We’ve focussed mainly on potentially unfamiliar electric car related items, such as batteries, range and charging.
Where to next?
- Narrow down your EV search in a systematic way using our Car Selector tool
- Read more about the Polestar 2 at Polestar’s UK website
- If you’re ready to go, consider leasing the Polestar 2 from a low-cost broker