2024 Polestar 2 Adds Electric Range, Power And New Look
While Tesla has catapulted itself into stardom with ever-popular and family-friendly vehicles like Model 3 and Model Y, the competition has begun heating up from all directions. Not only have the incumbents like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen started developing their own EV platforms but other newcomers, like Fisker, Rivian, and Polestar have joined the fray as well.
Despite only splitting from Volvo and joining the electric vehicle market very recently, Polestar has quickly made a name for itself thanks to consistently producing fast, fun electric vehicles that still have an air of practicality and safety about them. The 2023 Polestar 2 EV was by no stretch of the imagination the best EV on the market, featuring only 270 miles of maximum range, while the Dual Motor AWD model with the Performance Pack delivered 476 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque to the wheels, propelling the vehicle to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds and topping out at 127 mph.
For the 2024 model year, Polestar has brought a number of improvements to the Polestar 2 EV, most of which are in the name of a more fun and practical driving experience.
More power, range, and sportier driving dynamics
For starters, the base model, single-motor 2024 Polestar 2 is now rear-wheel drive and features a bump in horsepower and torque from 231 to 299 horsepower and 243 to 361 lb-ft respectively. Polestar claims this reduces the 0-60 mph time to 5.9 seconds. Similar changes are seen in the AWD model, which now features a more rear-biased drive train that delivers a total of 421 horsepower and 546 lb-ft of torque — up from 408 horsepower and 467 lb-ft in the 2023 model — shaving the 0-60 mph time down to 4.3 seconds — 0.2 seconds less than before.
The optional Performance Pack, which is available as an over-the-air software upgrade that is sure to earn the ire of some in the automotive industry, adds another 34 horsepower, bringing the total up to 455, and bringing the 0-60 mph time down to 4.1 seconds.
Joakim Rydholm, Head of Chassis Development at Polestar, says that the changes to the powertrains on the 2024 Polestar 2 make it "an even more playful and agile car, retaining its compactness and complete sense of control, while at the same time becoming more mature with added comfort." Updated Brembo brakes, 20-inch forged alloy wheels, and Öhlins Dual Flow Valve dampers are part of the Plus Pack, which will also be included on any Polestar 2 units ordered with the Performance Pack and should also serve to make the vehicle more playful.
More performance, better range, and faster charging
In addition to the performance changes, the Polestar 2 also features updates to the battery pack, with the "Long range Single motor" variant now earning a claimed EPA range of 300 miles thanks to its 82 kWh battery pack. The "Long range Dual motor" version fares slightly worse, achieving only 270 miles from its 78 kWh battery, which is still an improvement of 10 miles over the previous model, despite maintaining the same capacity. Polestar claims that the range improvements to the "Long range Dual motor" build are largely a result of the front motor disconnect feature and efficiency improvements to the battery chemistry.
The "Long range Single motor" style of the 2024 Polestar 2 also features updated charging to go along with the bigger battery pack, now topping out at 205 kW of DC fast charging. The dual-motor models, on the other hand, still top out at 155 kW of DC fast charging. The 2024 Polestar 2 will be available to pre-order from January 24, 2023, via Polestar.com, and deliveries will start later in 2023.