Electric vehicles seem like a great idea. They leave a much smaller carbon footprint. They are quieter. They’re more economical. As great as electric cars are, there’s one major problem. They simply don’t have the range needed to use them for long road trips. The good news is that using an EV for road trips is steadily becoming more feasible. Polestar is one of the companies working hard to create electric vehicles that will suit everyone’s travel needs.

The Polestar 2 is an excellent example of how EVs are able to travel longer distances before they need to be recharged.

What is the Polestar 2

The Polestar 2 is one of Volvo’s creations. The vehicle was designed to provide some competition for the Tesla Model 3. Some people might already be familiar with the Polestar 2. While not exactly common, the vehicle made its debut last year. As Stan Schroeder of Mashable reported, the vehicle was nice but had some glaring problems. He feels that the company did a decent job of identifying the issues and correcting them, making the 2021 Polestar 2 a very nice EV choice.

The 2021 Polestar 2 provides drivers with two different driving packages. One, the Plus Pack adds a ton of luxury features to the vehicle that includes things like a WeaveTech vegan upholstery and a panoramic roof. The other, the Pilot Pack, provides the driver with a slew of programs that are designed to make driving safer and easier. These features include a 360-degree camera that simplifies city parking situations and Pilot Assist technology.

One of the Polestar 2’s features that has many people talking about is its Google-sourced infotainment center which Car and Driver called revolutionary.

The Polestar 2’s range

Let’s be realistic. As much as we love having all sorts of brand-new technology at our fingertips when it comes to driving, our biggest priority is that our vehicle will get us where we want to go, preferably without having to stop every few hundred miles so the car can spend a few hours hooked to a charger. While the 2021 Polestar 2 might not get you from the east to the west coast in a single charge, the estimated range of the 2021 model is a vast improvement over other EVs.

A 2021 Polestar 2 that’s equipped with a single motor and a 78 kWh battery, a horsepower output of 231 hp, and an estimated range of about 260 miles. U.S. News reported that with a 240-V charger it takes about 10 hours for the Polestar 2’s battery reach a full charge. They also stated that as long as you have access to a fast-charging station, you should be able to charge the battery to 80 percent in about 30 minutes, which gives you just enough time to eat a meal before hitting the road.

Purchasing a Polestar 2

So far, Polestar hasn’t announced when the Polestar 2 will be available in the United States, other than to say that dealerships should start carrying them near the end of 2021. There also hasn’t been any official word on how much the EV Polestar 2 will retail for, though based on European pricing, it’s reasonable to assume that a new one will start at around $60,000. 

Will the Polestar 2’s longer range and relatively short charging time convince you that it’s time to consider making the change from gas to electric?