Polestar 2 review: range, battery & charging
Lots of charging options and competitive range figures keep the Polestar 2 on par with its rivals
| Model | Range | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Range Single | 322 miles | 10hrs 45mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 34 mins (10-80%, 135kW) |
| Long Range Single | 395 miles | 12hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 28 mins (10-80%, 205kW) |
| Long Range Twin | 368 miles | 12hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 28 mins (10-80%, 205kW) |
The entire line-up Polestar 2 received significant range boosts in January 2023 thanks to new electric motors and bigger batteries for the Long Range variants. We’ve not yet driven the updated car, but the Long Range single-motor model’s claimed 395-mile maximum range is one of the longest offered by any electric car on sale right now. For less than £50,000, that’s undeniably impressive.
Polestar 2 range
When launched, the single-motor Polestar 2 Standard Range offered a range of 273 miles thanks to its 69kWh battery. Meanwhile, the Long Range variants were equipped with a 78kWh battery, and could cover 341 and 301 miles in single and dual-motor forms respectively.
Updates for 2023 see the entry-level Standard Range model switch from front to rear-wheel drive, using a more efficient electric motor for a range of up to 322 miles. Long Range single-motor versions get a larger 82kWh battery and can now cover up to 395 miles on a charge, according to the Swedish brand. That trumps the official figures for the Tesla Model 3 Long Range and BMW i4 eDrive40, as well as the Mercedes EQE’s 394-mile official range.
Finally, there’s the dual-motor Polestar 2, which is now equipped with a 82kWh battery as well, and can completely disconnect its front motor while cruising to help with efficiency. As a result, the dual-motor versions now boast an official range of up to 368 miles – up from 301 miles previously.
When we’ve tested the Polestar 2 previously it’s not been as efficient as its rivals, meaning we couldn’t achieve its official range figures in the real world. For example, when testing a single-motor Polestar back-to-back with a BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3, the Swede returned around 3.5 miles per kilowatt hour (mi/kWh) compared to the BMW i4’s 3.8mi/kWh and Tesla Model 3’s 4.4mi/kWh.
However, we’ve yet to put the updated versions of Polestar 2 through their paces, and the addition of more efficient electric motors should help drivers get closer to those now much longer range figures.
As with all electric vehicles, achieving a car's claimed range requires careful throttle application and smooth driving. Making regular full use of the Polestar's impressive power and torque will drain the range significantly. Polestar provides an online calculator to help owners figure out how often they'll need to charge their car. A slider for weekly distance is translated into total monthly charges, total savings versus petrol or diesel, and projected CO2 emissions reductions. It'll also help you find charging points on the move.
Charge time
Charging at home from a standard 7.4kW wallbox will take over 12 hours for the larger of the two batteries, or just under 11 hours for the entry-level version. If your property has three-phase electricity, the Polestar 2 can take advantage of faster 11kW home charging, reducing those times to around seven and eight hours respectively for the smaller and larger batteries.
As part of the recent updates, the Standard Range Polestar 2 can now charge at up to 135kW, while the Long Range versions up this to 205kW. Polestar says it will take around half an hour to top-up each version from 10-80% using a suitably fast rapid or ultra-rapid charger.
TrustpilotAll Polestar 2 models come as standard with a Type 2 charging cable, along with a three-pin home-charging cable. There's no official home wallbox as you'll find with some other manufacturers, but Polestar suggests Pod Point as its preferred supplier on its website.
