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The Polestar 1 is a supercharged and supercharged plug-in hybrid Once for Volvo as AMG for Mercedes-Benz, a tuning company that has driven more models for pedestrians, giving them some Nurburgring magic. But in 2017, Volvo and Geely (owner of the Swedish car manufacturer) turned Polestar into an independent, sustainability and performance-oriented company. Its first product, the Polestar 1, a $150,000 hand-built plug-in hybrid GT that dazzled me when I drove it in 2019.
But with a total production of only 1,500 cars in 3 years, you can consider Polestar 1 as a business card or an intent. Polestar’s long term is purely electric (hence more PHEV) and sends cars in much higher volumes. At the end of 2021, we will see Polestar 3, an SUV that promises to look a lot like the very good Precept concept presented in April. But first, there’s Polestar 2. (Interestingly, because Polestar is identified as a stand-alone OEM, it has its own allocation of 200,000 cars for the IRS plug-in tax credit, instead of having Volvo).
The Polestar 2 is built using the Geely Group’s compact modular architecture, which also supports the Volvo XC40, as well as the cars of its strong wife Lynk and Co. However, this car is not a crossover. Rather, it is a fastback sedan that basically manages to hide the fact that it is full of batteries, with a decent drag coefficient but not the most productive in its elegance of 0.28. In terms of size, it is smaller than a Tesla Model 3 or Jaguar I-Pace, measuring 181.3 inches (4606 mm) long, 70.8 inches (1800 mm) wide, 58.2 inches (1479 mm) on top and 107.7 inches (2735 mm) wheelbase. The weight distribution is 51:49 (forward) and at 4680 pounds (2123 kg), it is closer to the Jaguar than to the much lighter Tesla.
Underneath the skin, you’ll find a pair of the same Valeo-Siemens generator and permanent magnet motor (MGU) alternating units (each with a nominal force of 150 kW (204 hp) and 330 Nm (243 lb-ft), one for each axle. You cannot simply load the outputs of the two UGC to get a complete output for an BEV, however, in this case, the Polestar 2 can put the three hundred kW or 660 Nm on the road Each engine uses a gear at a speed with a ratio of 8.57:1.
As Volvo switches to electric, that’s how it makes its top-notch batteries. These MGUs are powered by a 400 V, 78 kWh lithium-ion battery with a force of 75 kWh. For Polestar 2 in the US market, pocket cells (including 324 out of a total of 27 modules) come from LG Chem, CATL, which offers prismatic cells for automobiles in the Chinese market. The packages were developed through Volvo (and will be shared with the XC40 Recharge BEV, which will go on sale at the end of 2020), and are manufactured in-house and delivered to Polestar.
Although the battery is where you expect it to be, Polestar says his vehicle doesn’t have a skateboard design. Instead, the shape makes the CMA’s most productive use by filling what would be a transmission tunnel in a conventional propulsion vehicle with cells, as well as by stacking them twice in the rear, under the rear seats. This leaves room for the feet of rear passengers, such as the Porsche Taycan (without awkwardly calling them “walking garages”). The package weighs 1,100 lbs (499 kg), adding its structural reinforcement, and has an 8-year or 100,000-mile warranty.
The AC rate is through an integrated 11 kW evaluator, which will take up to 22 hours if you plug it into a popular 110V plug. With a domain evaluator in your garage or car port (or a point 2 public sector evaluator), Polestar says it takes up to 8 hours to get from 0 to 100%. For car trips, you can temporarily rate up to 150 kW in direct current, which takes 40 minutes to pass from 0 to 80%.
As with other CMA-based vehicles, the Polestar 2 uses a MacPherson force leg for the front suspension and a multi-arm rear design. Opt for the $5,000 functionality package (as in our car) and you’ll get a reduced frame height of 0.2 inches (5 mm), highly complicated ‘hlins’ surprise absorbers (as well as other spring and stabilizer bar rates) and larger front brake discs with brembo four-piston stirrups.
The interior of Polestar 2 is one of the maximum productive characteristics of the car. Polestar should be more durable than the average OEM, which is the apparent maximum in cabin fabric selection. The popular interior uses a fabric called WeaveTech, which many fabrics recycle and do not use as a maximum phthalate as plasticizers. (A brown nappa leather is a $4,000 option and does not use chrome in the tanning process). Similarly, carpets are made from recycled water bottles. The combination of fabrics is very fashionable and is influenced by techwear.
If you have been to a recent Volvo, immediately recognize the Polestar’s multifunction guide wheel. In fact, from the driver’s seat, the design can be familiar if you are sitting on an XC40. In front of you is a 12.3-inch virtual main board, which has 3 other UI modes; one with fundamental data such as speed, another that adds a little more situational awareness thanks to the car’s sensors and a third with a complete view of the map. An attractive feature is the force display, which indicates when you are using or regenerating energy. It is a fairly popular feature for an BEV, however, the Polestar 2 is possibly the first car I see that, in slowing, indicates when it went from recovery braking to friction braking. (The transfer of friction brakes to the friction brakes occurs only above a 0.3G braking threshold).
Image of the ad through Polestar
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