Although there have been a number of delays already this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic and various states of shutdown or slowdown, the Polestar 2 electric car is running on time.
And ahead of its first deliveries this summer, Polestar has now put a price tag on the upcoming China-built EV: $59,900 to start.
Polestar buyers’ eligibility for the federal EV tax credit, plus state rebates—$2,000 in California and New York, for instance—lowers the price close to $50,000.
That’s below the $54,190 starting price for the Tesla Model Y Long Range, but roughly the same as the Model 3 Long Range’s $50,190.
The Polestar 2, by Green Car Reports’ experience getting in and out of each of these vehicles (albeit in prototype form with the Model Y), falls neatly between the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. The Polestar 2 can look deceptively crossover-like in pictures, but up close it’s definitely a fastback—just one with more chiseled proportions. In overall height it’s closer to the Tesla Model 3 than the Model Y, so think Model 3 plus a hatch instead of a trunklid and you get the idea. I’m 6’-6”, and could fit in the back seat—tight on legroom but surprisingly OK with headroom.
In U.S. form, the Polestar 2 will have 408 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque from its dual-motor all-wheel drive system, with a 78-kwh battery pack. The car hasn’t yet been EPA range-rated, and Polestar so far calls the range “considerable.”
Options on the Polestar will include the Performance Pack ($5,000), a Nappa leather interior ($4,000), 20-inch alloy wheels ($1,200), and metallic paint ($1,200).
Polestar 2 Android-based infotainment system teaser image
The Polestar 2 is also claimed to be the first car in the world to have an infotainment system built entirely on Google Android, with built-in support for Google Assistant, Google Maps (with charging station support), and Google Play Store app downloads.
Polestar assures U.S. customers that the 2 will be available in all 50 states and that there will soon be both lease and retail finance options. Although you buy the Polestar 2 via a website, as with Tesla vehicles, physical retail stores, called Polestar Spaces will serve as showrooms and test-drive hubs and will open by the end of the summer, while some Volvo dealerships will provide service (Polestar is a product of Volvo and Geely, and the 2 is closely related to the upcoming Volvo XC40 Recharge).
What’s missing as of yet is the lower-priced (roughly $45,000) version that Polestar has teased is coming later. It’s still coming, Polestar assures—eventually.