Continuing our overview of the all-electric vehicles available in the United States, today we will stop for a moment at the 2023 Polestar 2, which once was considered one of the main competitors (or even a "killer") of the Tesla Model 3.
The 2023 model year lineup includes several versions: single-motor (SM) front-wheel drive (FWD), dual-motor (DM) all-wheel drive (AWD) with a quicker performance version ($5,500 Performance pack option), and some limited BST editions (sold out BST 270 and new BST 230).
Please note that the North American-spec versions differ from the European versions (see info for Europe here).
Battery, Powertrain and EPA Range
All Polestar 2 versions currently available in the US are available with a 78-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack.
The Polestar 2 SM is equipped with a 170-kilowatt (kW) electric motor and can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.0 seconds. The DM version (and BST 270 edition) has a peak system output of 300 kW and 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. With the Performance pack option, the power output increases to 350 kW (this concern also the BST 230 edition), while the 0-60 mph time improves to 4.2 seconds.
There is also an option to increase the power output of the DM version via a software update, from 300 to 350 kW, at a price of about $1,195 (without the Performance pack option, which includes other, hardware elements).
The EPA Combined range ratings are already listed and depending on the version, vary from 247 miles up to 270 miles:
- Polestar 2 SM 19-inch: 270 miles (434 km) - same as in 2022MY
- Polestar 2 DM 19-inch: 260 miles (418 km) - up from 249 miles in 2022MY
[10 miles or 3.7% less than SM version] - Polestar 2 DM Perf Pack 20-inch: 260 miles (418 km)
- Polestar 2 DM BST edition 270 21-inch: 247 miles (397 km)
[13 miles or 5% less than DM Perf Pack 20-inch] - Polestar 2 DM BST edition 230 21-inch: expected 247 miles (397 km)
[not yet listed by EPA]
As we can see, the single-motor version has the longest range of 270 miles. The dual-motor version with the 19-inch wheels is not far away with 260 miles.
However, the Performance pack option, which also includes 21-inch wheels, lowers the range noticeably, to 247 miles.
In other words, customers can flexibly decide whether they prefer more performance or range.
Energy consumption, including charging losses, starts at 107 MPGe: 315 watt-hours per mile (196 Wh/km) in the case of the entry-level SM version.
The DM versions are getting 100 MPGe: 337 Wh/mi (209 Wh/km), according to EPA, which is a 7 percent higher energy consumption. The limited BST version is even less efficient.
There are no EPA Highway range numbers in the EPA's report, but we can estimate from the efficiency ratings that roughly 250 miles of range should be possible on a highway.
2023 Polestar 2 Single Motor 19-inch
|
2023 Polestar 2 Single Motor 19-inch :: EPA Range rating by InsideEVs [Electric Vehicle 5-cycle label] | |
|
Combined City Highway |
270 miles (434 km) N/A N/A |
| EPA Energy consumption (including charging losses): | |
|
Combined City Highway |
107 MPGe: 315 Wh/mi (196 Wh/km) 113 MPGe: 298 Wh/mi (185 Wh/km) 100 MPGe: 337 Wh/mi (209 Wh/km) |
2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor 19-inch
|
2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor 19-inch :: EPA Range rating by InsideEVs [Electric Vehicle 5-cycle label] | |
|
Combined City Highway |
260 miles (418 km) N/A N/A |
| EPA Energy consumption (including charging losses): | |
|
Combined City Highway |
100 MPGe: 337 Wh/mi (209 Wh/km) 105 MPGe: 321 Wh/mi (199 Wh/km) 96 MPGe: 351 Wh/mi (218 Wh/km) |
2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor Perf Pack 20-inch
|
2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor Perf Pack 20-inch :: EPA Range rating by InsideEVs [Electric Vehicle 5-cycle label] | |
|
Combined City Highway |
260 miles (418 km) N/A N/A |
| EPA Energy consumption (including charging losses): | |
|
Combined City Highway |
100 MPGe: 337 Wh/mi (209 Wh/km) 105 MPGe: 321 Wh/mi (199 Wh/km) 96 MPGe: 351 Wh/mi (218 Wh/km) |
2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor BST edition 270 21-inch
|
2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor BST edition 270 21-inch :: EPA Range rating by InsideEVs [Electric Vehicle 5-cycle label] | |
|
Combined City Highway |
247 miles (397 km) N/A N/A |
| EPA Energy consumption (including charging losses): | |
|
Combined City Highway |
96 MPGe: 351 Wh/mi (218 Wh/km) 98 MPGe: 344 Wh/mi (214 Wh/km) 91 MPGe: 370 Wh/mi (230 Wh/km) |
2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor BST edition 230 21-inch
Not yet listed by EPA. Polestar indicates 247 miles or EPA range.
Charging
Charging of the Polestar 2 from a Level 2 AC point takes about eight hours. In terms of fast charging, 10-80 percent recharge (at up to 155 kW) should take about 35 minutes, according to the manufacturer.
Basic specs
| Model | Drive | Battery (kWh) | EPA Range | 0-60 mph (sec) | Top Speed |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Single Motor 19-inch | FWD | 78 | 270 mi (434 km) | 7.0 | 100 mph (161 km/h) |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor 19-inch | AWD | 78 | 260 mi (418 km) | 4.5 | 127 mph (204 km/h) |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor Perf Pack 20-inch | AWD | 78 | 260 mi (418 km) | 4.2 | 127 mph (204 km/h) |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor BST edition 270 21-inch | AWD | 78 | 247 mi (397 km) | 4.5 | 127 mph (204 km/h) |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor BST edition 230 21-inch | AWD | 78 | 247 mi* (397 km) | 4.2 |
* estimated
Gallery: 2023 Polestar 2 BST edition 230
Prices
Prices of the 2023 Polestar 2 SM and DM start respectively at an MSRP of $48,400 (plus $1,400 destination charge) and $51,900.
That's slightly more than in the 2022 model year version (by $2,500 and $2,000), which entered the market in March 2022. The DST also increased by $100, from $1,300. However, as in the case of the other imported models, the biggest issue for the Polestar 2 is the lack of eligibility for the $7,500 federal tax credit (as far as we know, the incentive might be used only to lower the lease payment). The other issue is that some of the versions exceed the $55,000 price cap for cars.
As a result, the effective starting price of the Polestar 2 is close to $50,000 and that's a challenging position to compete with the Tesla Model 3/Tesla Model Y or Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The BST limited edition versions are way more expensive ($75,500 for the previous BST 270 and $80,900 for the new BST 230), but those are cars for enthusiasts (only a few hundred units to be ever made - respectively 270 and 230 for global market). Customer deliveries of the BST 230 are expected to begin in Q3 2023.
| Model | Base Price | Dest. Charge | Tax Credit | Effective Price |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Single Motor 19-inch | $48,400 | +$1,400 | N/A | $49,800 |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor 19-inch | $51,900 | +$1,400 | N/A | $53,300 |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor Perf Pack 20-inch | $57,400 | +$1,400 | N/A | $58,800 |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor BST edition 270 21-inch | $75,500 | +$1,400 | N/A | $76,900 |
| 2023 Polestar 2 Dual Motor BST edition 230 21-inch | $80,900 | +$1,400 | N/A | $82,300 |
2024 Polestar 2
In the not-too-distant future, Polestar intends to launch the 2024 Polestar 2 model year version announced in January. According to the manufacturer, the first deliveries in Europe are expected in the third quarter of 2023. We guess that the US will follow in 2023/2024 (prices for the US are not yet known).
