Can the Polestar 4 Save Polestar?

Join each day information updates from CleanTechnica on e mail. Or observe us on Google Information!

There isn’t any denying that Polestar is having some issue promoting its electrical vehicles globally. When the Polestar 2 first got here out, they offered properly and constructed a loyal following in Australia. Nevertheless, as competitors elevated, they’ve misplaced market share and relevance.

We visited the Brisbane showroom to fulfill and spend a while with the Polestar 4, and to learn how issues have been altering with the brand new fashions.

Drive.com predicts that the Polestar 2 will proceed to seek out gross sales tough properly into 2025. The perfect outcome was 2,463 items of the Polestar 2 being offered in 2023. In some months in 2022, it even offered greater than Tesla. Again in these days, although, all EVs have been promoting in low numbers.

Let’s flip our focus again to the Polestar 4. We had time to take a seat in and discover the automobile earlier than we have been approached by the gross sales rep and have been in a position to quiz him about buyer curiosity and specs. We had pushed the Polestar 2 when it first got here out — and you may learn an proprietor’s evaluation right here. Our test-driving expertise was not pretty much as good. There have been roadworks across the showroom and we couldn’t exceed 40 km/h. The salespeople knew little or no in regards to the automobile. The tech was lower than normal. My, how issues have modified with the Polestar 4! Let’s hope it could actually assist flip Polestar’s fortune’s round.

We have been instructed that the Polestar 4 (PS 4 for brief — to not be confused with the PlayStation 4) was similar to the Tesla Mannequin Y and the BMW iX. We bought have a look at the Polestar 4 Lengthy Vary. With a spread of 600 km and 0–100 km/h in 7.1 seconds, it sells for about AU$84,000 (US$52,000). As a comparability, the Polestar 4 Efficiency (twin motor) has a spread of 550 km and can attain 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. It retails for AU$94,000 (US$58,500). The Polestar 4 Lengthy Vary has a metal roof, whereas the twin motor has a glass roof. At a contact of a button on the display, the glass roof frosts over and cuts glare. This electrochromatic roof is optionally available on the twin motor model for a value of $2,700.

The automobile is supplied with a 100 kWh, 400V lithium-ion battery with nickel manganese cobalt (NMC). Every automobile is equipped with a “granny charger” for plug and play. 

The gross sales rep says that the Polestar 4 has been properly tuned for the Australian driving atmosphere. “You possibly can really feel the grip.” The gross sales rep studies that many individuals go to the BMW dealership over the street (as we did) after which drop into Polestar to match. He says that the Polestar 4 is promoting properly and he hears feedback like “particular, unique, Swedish aptitude.”

In 2024, Polestar offered a complete of 1,460 Polestar 2; 71 Polestar 3, and 183 Polestar 4. We’d like to keep in mind that the Polestar 4 has solely been on the Australian marketplace for 3 months. “A plethora of vehicles” have been traded in on the Polestar. “One buyer just lately traded in a Tesla Mannequin Y Efficiency for a Polestar 4 twin motor,” he stated.

Majella was taken with the design and luxurious options of the automobile. She particularly appreciated the best way the automobile moved the steering wheel and seat as the motive force entered and exited. The Polestar 4 comes with Android Auto and over-the-air software program updates. However here’s a disappointment: it doesn’t are available crimson! Polestar requires that the automobile be serviced each 2 years, or 30,000 km. 5 years free servicing is included within the buy value.

Polestar is owned by Geely and counts Volvo Automobiles as a sister firm (they’re now colocated). Geely offers the Swedish manufacturers house to create their very own merchandise. Geely will launch its personal branded vehicles in Australia this yr — will probably be attention-grabbing to see how competitors unfolds.

About half of Polestar’s clients include their analysis carried out. Others must have lots of questions answered. This can be a signal that Polestar is interesting to an viewers past the technologically conscious “early adopters.” Now … to maneuver them from curiosity to the expertise of possession.

This video evaluation from Jack Scarlet of Totally Charged may assist. It is stuffed with technical element and amusing tales. The primary message I got here away with was low carbon footprint — decrease than that of a Kia Picanto. Thus destroying the parable that EVs will not be good for the planet (at round 12 minutes in).

Jack does specific some concern about intrusive security options being a bit excessive — particularly when the automobile thought he was yawning as he opened his mouth to talk on the telephone to his mum. Apparently, the automobile began beeping and placed on the hazard lights. Then got here the therapeutic massage. “Non-consensual massages don’t enhance a automobile or make it safer,” he quipped (see at 6:40 minutes within the video).

Our gross sales rep had been working for Polestar for 3 years and instructed us he had obtained numerous coaching. He enthuses: “Polestar vehicles nonetheless have a soul. They’re silent, however very loud. They drive so properly; it at all times places a smile on my face.” He described the Polestar as having a enjoyable character. He inspired folks to do the analysis on EVs and cease believing all of the misinformation.

Majella agreed — “I really like that automobile! It has a display to the facet and one behind the wheel with bigger numbers. The air con controls and settings have been just like the Tesla. I discovered it extra snug than the BMW we had seen earlier. The ‘simple automobile entry and exit’ characteristic with the steering wheel in and the motive force’s seat again was very useful for an older again. When you shut the door, they arrive again collectively.” She discovered the “simple entrance” higher than Tesla’s. “It’s nice to don’t have any rear window, utilizing the digital camera as an alternative. It’s a lot simpler to see every thing — you don’t have to fret about cleansing the again window.”