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Sustainability and style are synonymous with electric vehicles, and therefore the minimalist approach to the design of EVs on the inside which was pioneered by Tesla is widely accepted by consumers and has become a trend for electric vehicles from other automakers, including Volvo's EV brand Polestar.
However on the outside, the color options offered by Polestar didn't exactly dazzle us. Over the past few weeks, the automaker has revealed several new updates for the upcoming 2023 Polestar 2, the company's first mass-market EV. So let's get up to speed with everything you need to know about the new EV.
After updating the Polestar 2 for the 2023 model year, the automaker has announced that the deliveries of the highly anticipated EV will start in September.
The 2023 Polestar 2 will also be available with an optional heat pump included in the Plus Pack. This unit has a better optimal temperature range which the company claims will improve efficiency in cold temperatures.
The optimal temperature range of Polestar 2 with the optional heat pump is between -7°C and 25°C.
The company also joined forces with London-based tech company Circulor to track raw materials like aluminum, mica, and cobalt used for EV battery production. Circulor will use its blockchain technology to minimize carbon emissions and help ensure that these materials are processed and sourced using sustainable energy.
Prices for the entry-level 2023 Polestar 2 long-range single motor (LR SM) variant now start at $48,400, whereas the LR dual -motor version will now cost $51,900. As a result, the base versions of 2023 Poster 2 are now 5.4% and 4% more expensive, respectively.
The company has also increased the destination charge from $1,300 to $1,400.
In addition, customers opting for the Performance Pack will now have to pay an additional $500, whereas the prices of the Pilot Pack and Plus Pack have been increased by $200.
Polestar claims that software improvements will increase the EPA range of the dual-motor variant by another 4.4% or 11 miles. It is also possible that the performance software upgrade option will bump the power of the long-range dual motor models by 68 horsepower.
After introducing Polestar 2 with rather somber paint options, the automaker is finally adding new color shades for the 2023 model. The new paint options carry forward Polestar's "celestial" theme.
Among the new paint choices, The 2023 Polestar 2 now gets a rich black color option called "Space". This particular paint option comes complete with metallic flakes, which will emulate the astronomical effect the automaker is trying to achieve with its color palette.
The other color option is called Jupiter, which is an off-white shade.
Polestar also ditched the Void Black paint option, which has now been replaced by Magnesium Grey.
The company has also increased the prices for other colors, including Jupiter, Snow, midnight, Space, and Thunder. There is now an additional $1,200 fee if customers in the U.S. want to opt for these non-standard colors.
The Polestar 2 also gets new designs for the 19- and 20-inch wheel options.
For the European market, the Polestar 2, single-motor front-wheel-drive variant now comes equipped with a larger 69 kWh battery pack which replaces the older 64 kWh battery in the new Euro-spec Polestar 2.
With the bigger battery, the EV now delivers a WLTP range of 295 miles and gets rapid charging capability of up to 130 kW. The European Polestar 2 also gets a more powerful 170 kW electric motor.
Polestar also updated the cabin colors for the 2023 new model year Polestar 2. The Napa leather upholstery is now available in a new Zinc shade that replaces the old Barley color option.
Polestar also ditching the old Reconstructed Wood trim for a new Light Ash style finish.
The 2023 Polestar 2 is also available with an improved interior particulate matter sensor that uses a new in-car app. It detects gasses and pollen so that the advanced passenger compartment filter can clean the air more precisely, according to Polestar.
The app was specifically developed to communicate with the airborne particulate matter sensor and keeps the driver up to date on the current air quality. It displays the number of pollutants and pollen in the outside air as well as the quality of the air in the cabin.
The Polestar app also allows the driver to activate the system in advance, filtering the passenger compartment air while the car is parked.