Polestar 2

¡¾Latest feelings¡¿Here's an update after driving 15,000 kilometers: I've been using the car for over a year, and I can say that the more I drive it, the more addicted I get. I've completely fallen in love with the feeling of driving this car. Occasionally, when I drive other cars, I feel extremely uncomfortable. Overall, the stability is good. I haven't basically found any problems. After several OTAs, the previously criticized infotainment system issues have become more stable. False alarms occur occasionally, but anyway, they are less frequent than before. However, the phone key still doesn't work very well, but it's not a big deal. During this period, I also had a maintenance service. There's a pick-up and drop-off service, so I didn't have to go there at all. It's so convenient! There's a little thing to complain about. Polestar/Volvo doesn't have its own charging network at all, and there are no discounts at third-party charging stations. It's a bit of a pity for people who don't have home charging.
Let me share my car-using experience after driving 6,000 kilometers.
¡¾Most satisfied¡¿
The appearance. The Thor's Hammer headlights inherited from Volvo can catch people's eyes in a second. Both the exterior and the interior are highly designed. You can see a lot of designers' ingenuity in it. The Polestar logo that lights up in front of the sunroof and on the central gear lever is extremely beautiful. Personally, I really appreciate the minimalist yet luxurious and elegant but not flashy temperament of the Polestar 2. I also fully agree with its environmental protection concept. Among a bunch of new energy vehicles that show a sense of luxury by piling up materials, it is definitely a unique one.
¡¾Car purchase experience¡¿
I used to drive fuel-powered cars all the time, including sedans and SUVs from both ordinary and luxury brands. I wasn't interested in electric vehicles originally. However, due to the license plate quota restrictions, I had to start researching electric cars. I test-drove the NIO ES6, Tesla Model 3, Model Y, and BMW iX3. I also considered the Jaguar I-PACE, but its appearance wasn't to my taste, so I didn't go for a test drive. To be honest, I felt that all these test-driven cars had a strong electronic flavor when driving. Especially, I was very unaccustomed to the one-pedal driving mode. Before I met the Polestar 2 (I have to criticize the marketing department here. The promotion was not enough, and I didn't pay attention to it in the early stage), after comprehensive consideration, the car I chose was the standard-range Model Y. I had already placed an order, but the production scheduling cycle was a bit long. And when test-driving it, I always felt something was missing. So while waiting, I was still looking at other cars. Until I met the Polestar. This car really suits my taste. After one test drive, I cancelled my order for the Model Y. Maybe this is love at first sight, haha!
¡¾Driving experience¡¿
Let me focus on the driving experience. For those who are used to driving fuel-powered cars, the Polestar 2 can be driven directly without any problems. It's very user-friendly. It can be said to be the least "electric car-like" electric vehicle among those I've test-driven. When you first step on the accelerator, it's not as intense as other electric cars. It feels like it's simulating the shifting process of a fuel-powered car, without a sense of dizziness. At first, it gives a gentle feeling. After the gentle start, the power kicks in, and the main power output is in the middle stage. So there's no need to worry about the power at all. The single-motor version drives like a high-power 2.0T fuel-powered car. The chassis tuning is also very comfortable, with a clear sense of the road. Since there are no driving modes to choose from, it achieves a certain balance between sportiness and comfort as a whole. The experience accumulated by traditional car manufacturers is very obvious at this time. The handling experience is impeccable. I also test-drove the launch edition with a dual-motor and performance package. The power is really exciting, and you can feel that the suspension is stiffer and the support is stronger. It's definitely a driver's car. However, for someone like me who mainly uses the car for daily commuting and family use, the single-motor version is enough. It drives more gently and comfortably on a daily basis.
¡¾Range¡¿
In the north, the daily power consumption is about 15 in summer and autumn, and 20 - 22 on the highway. The performance is a bit worse in winter. The daily power consumption is basically no less than 20, and it's even higher on the highway. I basically drive it like a fuel-powered car. The one-pedal driving mode is always turned off. I turn on the air conditioning, seat heating, and steering wheel heating according to my mood. I don't deliberately adjust to save power. Overall, the range can be over 300 kilometers, which I'm quite satisfied with.
¡¾Least satisfied¡¿
One is the infotainment system. Objectively speaking, there are still some minor problems. For example, the digital key always has problems with matching, the network loses signal from time to time, and the infotainment system occasionally freezes. But after all, it's an intelligent electric vehicle. I believe there's still room for improvement through OTA in the future. The other is that the overall seating space is a bit cramped. It's comfortable for one person, just right for two people. But it gets crowded when adults sit in the back row, and it's uncomfortable for long rides.
¡¾Finally¡¿
It's said that the Polestar 2 sold a total of 29,000 units in the global market in 2021. The overall result is okay. But in the domestic market, there were only about 1,000 units sold, which is quite disappointing. But it's understandable. Chinese people pay more attention to the range, size, and whether it looks luxurious in electric vehicles. The Polestar doesn't have an advantage in these aspects. It can be said that it wasn't specially adjusted for the domestic market from the very beginning of the design. So this car is doomed to be a niche one. However, I think its design, materials, safety, and driving experience are all first-class. So although the sales volume is average, it doesn't stop the Polestar 2 from being a great car in my heart.

[Charging Time, Power Consumption, and Range]
After March, three-phase charging installations were no longer allowed. I picked up the car in May and installed a 7KW slow charger. I commute 120 - 140 kilometers round-trip every day, and I've covered about 3400 kilometers in a month, using about 40% of the battery. Since I have the dual-motor performance package and drive quite aggressively, usually overtaking other cars. It's half urban and half highway driving, with an average speed over 40. The power consumption is steadily above 24. I've also tried driving leisurely once or twice, and the power consumption was around 18. Calculated this way, the range can reach over 350 kilometers. I charge the car to the recommended level every night. It takes about 4.5 - 5 hours to charge from 40% to 90%. During a holiday, I used fast charging once. It took just over twenty minutes to charge from over 40% to over 70% at a State Grid charging station, for your reference.
[Intelligence]
Although the car is equipped with assisted driving, I haven't used it yet. I turned off the lane-keeping function on the day I picked up the car because I just can't stand the machine competing with me for driving control. Once, when a vehicle was too close from the side and rear, the car suddenly turned a bit by itself, which really startled me. The Huawei App currently has limited features but is sufficient for use. The navigation is very good. However, I can't manually zoom in or out on the dashboard navigation (please tell me if it's possible). The iFlytek voice recognition is acceptable, but it fails to recognize occasionally. Remote control of the air conditioner via the phone is very practical, especially since summer has arrived.
[Driving Experience and Riding Comfort]
I got hooked after test-driving the single-motor version and immediately placed an order. I definitely made the right choice with the dual-motor performance package. The brakes and suspension are top-notch. It can glide through traffic like a fish. You won't know the feeling until you've driven it. When I first got the car, I drove in gasoline mode and turned off the energy recovery because I felt the recovery was too strong and could easily lead to speeding. It was a bit exciting but also hard on the brakes. Now I'm used to the low energy recovery mode. I'm very confident on the road and rarely use the brakes. I control the vehicle solely by the pressure on the single pedal, and the driving is very smooth and enjoyable.
The chassis is very compact, and the roll control is good, but it feels a bit stiffer compared to the French cars I usually drive. Since I've only driven a few thousand kilometers, I won't test its limits for now. The suspension is on the firm side, so the comfort level is average. My favorite driving position is to adjust the leg rest forward halfway, bend my left leg and tuck it into the space formed by the leg rest, the seat, and the door. I rest my right elbow on the armrest box that's adjusted all the way forward, and I can gently hold the steering wheel with my left hand above my knee. It gives a great sense of enclosure and immersion, and my right hand can join in controlling the steering wheel at any time.
[Problems and Suggestions]
Visibility issue: During heavy rain, due to water accumulation, the view through the front windshield becomes completely white, and even the wipers working at full speed can't solve the problem. I didn't have this problem with the MPV I used to drive. Maybe it's because the body of this car is lower? But even my old French sedan didn't get into such a mess in such situations. I'm looking for the cause and a solution. Also, the thick A-pillars really block the view when turning, and I'm afraid there's no solution for this.
Motor and air conditioner noise: The motor noise seems quite loud in the underground garage but is not obvious on the road; the air conditioner noise is slightly loud.
Starting click: It occasionally happens once or twice, always when starting a cold car. There are two obvious clicking sounds.
Phone key: My Huawei phone can only remotely turn on the air conditioner and unlock the car. The function of unlocking the car when the phone approaches as a car key has never worked. Is this an isolated case?
Weak rear air conditioner airflow: It's truly a driver's car. But there are still passengers. The difference between the front and rear is too big. Can the airflow be increased?
Frameless rearview mirror: When it rains a bit harder, there are constantly water droplets on the mirror surface, and the heating doesn't work. I suggest adding a rain visor to the top edge in future versions.
[Others]
I haven't done any maintenance yet. I'll add more after driving 30,000 kilometers. I'll supplement information about stability and battery degradation later. Information about winter range is yet to be added.
[Evaluation]
This car can be a candidate for a person's second or third car. It's a great addition for daily commuting if you already have a gasoline car (preferably a six- or seven-seater). Don't buy it if you don't have a fixed parking space. It's suitable for people who have driven over 100,000 to 200,000 kilometers in total and love driving, especially those who understand some automotive principles and knowledge. Only those who can understand it will like it. Unfortunately, in China, most people focus more on the riding experience rather than the driving experience, so this car is destined to be niche.
[Reliability]
1. Last year, I blindly updated the system outside, which caused the small battery to run out of power, and the car couldn't start. It returned to normal after jump-starting. According to the warranty manual, the small battery has a two-year warranty, so I went to the 4S store and got a new battery. There have been no problems since then. I'd like to remind everyone not to easily accept OTA updates when you're out. Try to update at home or in the store because a long system update can cause the small battery to drain.
2. Once, the rope and the supporting rubber pad under the hatchback tailgate got stuck by a folding bike placed behind and broke. I fixed it with some 502 glue, and it doesn't affect the use.
3. After several system updates, old problems like the screen going black, losing network connection, and having to log in to the Kugou account again have basically disappeared. The software environment has improved. These were mainly entertainment function issues and didn't affect daily driving, but I hope it will get even better.
4. Regarding the battery, its health was checked at 98% after 55,000 kilometers and 100% during the first maintenance, which is within an acceptable range.

[Comparison with Other Brands] The price and commuting attributes of the single-motor version of the Polestar 2 are quite similar to the entry-level models of the Tesla Model 3, XPeng P7, and NIO ET5, while still having its own unique characteristics. In terms of space, the Polestar 2 is slightly inferior to these three competing models. The rear legroom is average, and the overall lateral space of the vehicle is also just okay, resulting in a rather compact riding experience.
[Dynamic Experience] The officially announced 0-100km/h acceleration time of 7.4 seconds is faster than the 8.1 seconds of the BMW 325Li. And thanks to the characteristics of electric vehicles, its acceleration response is more brisk and agile than traditional fuel vehicles when driving in the city. The chassis suspension is tuned to be very firm, even more robust than any other electrified model based on the CMA platform, providing sufficient confidence during aggressive driving. The braking performance is also strong, the steering is precise enough, and the steering feel is very comfortable.
[Brand, Design, and Space] The brand and exterior design of Polestar can meet the social needs of urban and elite users, similar to the feelings of BBA, Volvo, and Tesla. The interior style is environmentally friendly, and details such as the ultra-thin outer shell of the exterior rearview mirror, the needle buckle design in the interior, the air vents, the central control screen, and the logo in the center of the gear lever are well done, giving a basic sense of luxury car recognition.
The Polestar 2 features a fastback design, with a tailgate opening similar to that of Audi's hatchback models. Therefore, it is more convenient to place items than ordinary sedans - items can be placed vertically, which is more suitable for placing baby strollers, balance bikes, bicycles, etc. The trunk also has sufficient depth, and all models come standard with an electric tailgate, which is quite generous.
However, compared to the excellent trunk, the rear space is relatively average, just sufficient, similar to common entry-level ride-hailing cars. If the vehicle length and wheelbase were each increased by 100mm and the rear legroom was correspondingly improved, the experience would be much better.
[Disadvantages] The rear seat backrest is too upright. It would be more comfortable and relaxing if it could be tilted back a bit more. Additionally, it is hoped that the height of the central hump in the rear row could be reduced as it is currently quite high.
[Optional Configurations] If you choose to install the "Luxury Package", the 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system can provide a more immersive auditory experience. However, this optional package costs 30,000 yuan, which is quite expensive and includes many functions, such as a laminated glass panoramic sunroof with Polestar star logo projection, rear seat heating, advanced interior ambient lighting, wireless phone charging, integrated heating nozzles for the steering wheel and windshield wipers, and a dark rear windshield. All these additional features are good, but I might only be willing to pay extra for one or two of them. Choosing all of them would reduce the cost-effectiveness.