POLESTAR 2
AutoVolt Magazine|Issue 33
With motorsport in its DNA, has Polestar cracked the electric driver’s car?
Alex Grant
POLESTAR 2

Perceptions of the electric car are changing. Not only are the latest crop of models offering the range, diversity of variants and design normality needed for mainstream appeal, but enthusiasts have spotted an extra perk attached to ditching the combustion engine. Quite aside from the environmental benefits, electric vehicles are becoming increasingly synonymous with speed. And, in Polestar’s case, that’s not only in a straight line.

It’s not so long ago that the battle for the top of the compact executive class was a trifecta of German brands, impenetrable even to familiar names until the Tesla Model 3 tipped the apple cart. Of course, BMW isn’t far from production with the iX4 four-door coupé, but the Californian insurgent’s closest competition comes from Polestar; the Swedish-Chinese electric sub-brand of Volvo, which had originally been its motorsport and performance tuning partner. Quite the change of fortunes.

This has happened quickly enough that the Polestar 2 predates the brand itself. Volvo hinted at its future compact car line-up in 2017, revealing a pair of concepts that a crystal ball might have suggested would become the XC40 and S40. Instead, the latter would become Polestar’s route to locking horns with the Model 3; it’s priced almost identically, offered with two battery packs and a Performance version, and arrives with an appetite for luring company car drivers out of the default options.

Denne historien er fra Issue 33-utgaven av AutoVolt Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Issue 33-utgaven av AutoVolt Magazine.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA AUTOVOLT MAGAZINESe alt
BMW Prices Up All-Electric i4 Saloon And iX SUV
AutoVolt Magazine

BMW Prices Up All-Electric i4 Saloon And iX SUV

DUE for UK launch in November 2021, BMW has released pricing details for the new all electric i4.

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 33
Volvo Trucks announces new family of heavy electric HGVs
AutoVolt Magazine

Volvo Trucks announces new family of heavy electric HGVs

VOLVO Trucks will boost its electric truck range in 2022, with the arrival of three more zero emission HGV models. Joining the FE and FL Electric trucks which are aimed at urban routes and use, the new FH, FM and FMX Electrics will cater for the heavier road transport sector.

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 33
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTE
AutoVolt Magazine

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTE

Can a hybrid hot hatch really deliver the best of both worlds? Alex Grant finds out.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 33
REACH FOR THE SKIES
AutoVolt Magazine

REACH FOR THE SKIES

Electric flying racing cars have literally taken off, thanks to pioneering efforts from the Airspeeder team.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 33
POLESTAR 2
AutoVolt Magazine

POLESTAR 2

With motorsport in its DNA, has Polestar cracked the electric driver’s car?

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 33
HYUNDAI IONIQ 5
AutoVolt Magazine

HYUNDAI IONIQ 5

The retro-inspired first instalment of Hyundai’s new-generation EV line-up has substance worthy of its head-turning styling.

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 33
Kia EV6
AutoVolt Magazine

Kia EV6

Hot on the heels of the Hyundai IONIQ 5, sister car the EV6 heralds a fresh new design direction for Kia, as well as the first of eleven electric cars (including seven dedicated) to launch globally by 2026.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 33
BEAUTY... and the BEAST
AutoVolt Magazine

BEAUTY... and the BEAST

With five rounds, nine teams and no fossil fuels; the first season of Extreme E is a no-holds barred proving ground for next-generation electric technology, and the result of some competing sustainability requirements.

time-read
9 mins  |
Issue 33
Audi prices Q4 e-tron
AutoVolt Magazine

Audi prices Q4 e-tron

THE new Audi Q4 e-tron all electric SUV is now on sale on the UK, with prices starting at £40,750 OTR for the standard model and £42,250 OTR for the more swoopy, coupélike Sportback model.

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 33
2021 JAGUAR E-TYPE ELECTROGENIC
AutoVolt Magazine

2021 JAGUAR E-TYPE ELECTROGENIC

The Jaguar E-Type, dubbed “the most beautiful car ever made” by Enzo Ferrari needs little introduction to classic car fans the world over. Its design is so iconic that the E-Type is frequently credited as blurring the lines between definitions of art, sculpture and vehicular transportation.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 33