2022 Polestar 2 is more attractive, cheaper and repairable.

Polestar releases a more affordable, single-engine, two-wheel drive version of the sedan that retains many of the features of the dual-engine Polestar 2 as well as some changes that make it more affordable, attractive and more environmentally friendly for those who want to switch to electric vehicles. We tested it during a recent run.

Single or double motor

2022 Polestar 2 single engine has a range of 270 miles projected by Polestar, a little less power and fewer choices, but enough technology to make your trip smoother.

Instead of having two engines that drive all four wheels, as the twin engine does, this single-engine variant sends all of its 231 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. 2022 Polestar 2 single engine is equipped with a 78 kWh battery pack that is housed under the floor between the front and rear wheels. Polestar claims a usable capacity of 75 kWh. Polestar 2 twin engine uses the same battery pack. Polestar can and has released wireless upgrades to all its vehicles to facilitate charging and optimize battery settings.

2022 Polestar 2 Single motor sedans can also be equipped with a mechanical heat pump (available in Plus Pack for an additional $ 4,000) to help maintain charge in colder locations. Polestar claims that under certain weather conditions, the heat pump will remove heat from the surrounding air, which increases the range of the vehicle by up to 10%. According to Polestar estimates, the heat pump could provide an additional 27 miles of range to the 2022 Polestar 2 Single engine.

The fully equipped Launch Edition has been removed for this year model. The Polestar 2 Single engine replaces it, with a simpler and less charged design that includes a metal roof instead of Launch Edition's glass roof, ecologically friendly upholstery and a selection of a handful of extra "packages", as Polestar refers to them.

A heat pump, a panoramic glass roof, Harman Kardon premium sound and a cordless phone charger are all included in the Plus Pack (among other things). This package was installed on the prototype Polestar 2 that I was running. You can also choose the Pilot Pack ($ 3,200 more), which has adaptive cruise control and external LED lighting. Unfortunately, the car I was driving did not have the updated ADAS system, so I could not test what Polestar promises to provide level 2 driver assistance during my trip.

Built-in Android OS and OTA updates

Polestar 2 is the first car to be equipped with Google's Android Automotive operating system. While Volvo has used Android Automotive OS in some of its cars, such as the Volvo XC40 Recharge, the platform is used by the entire Polestar brand.

Android Automotive OS is a Linux-based open source operating system used as the underlying operating system in car infotainment systems such as Polestar. As a result, Google services like Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play Store are integrated into the vehicle. Android OS is not the same as Android Auto, a secondary interface that sits on top of an operating system and allows users to project the features and feel of their smartphone to the central display of their vehicle.

Users of the 2022 Polestar 2 can use the simple start phrase "Hey Google" to access virtually everything in the car via voice control. This word allows you to manage the climate and get driving directions. Because the public has been so thoroughly immersed in Google's infrastructure for so long, it's all pretty intuitive.

If you tell the system that your feet are warm, Google OS will lower the temperature in the footwell. Want to know where to get the best tacos in Santa Barbara? Just ask Google to search and then travel there, as I did. I rarely used the touch screen when driving because I could accomplish almost anything I wanted by asking Google to do it for me.

Google has been working intensively on natural language recognition for many years, and it is constantly improving. I abused a request or clumsily asked for things like adding a stop at a nearby beach to take pictures a few times while using the system. The machine did not miss a beat and solved my language to do exactly what I wanted.

Charging stations in the Polestar 2 Single engine I was running were partially connected to the Google Maps platform on the Android OS. However, there are several caveats.

You can ask Google to identify charging points along your journey and filter by brand. When you do this via Google Maps, the system will not notify you if a charger is nearby or working. Polestar has partnered with ChargePoint to provide charging access, and you can discover more about your chosen charger by using the ChargePoint app, which is located on the center screen. It needs a little screen tapping before it goes out on the road, which means you still have to stop and stop before traveling to the nearest charger. I did not have to stop to recharge on my 200-mile journey from the Pacific Design Center in Hollywood to Santa Barbara.

If I had to recharge, Polestar claims that I could have gotten 80 percent charge in about 30 minutes with DC fast chargers. According to Glenn Parker, a technical operations specialist from Polestar, this is a significant improvement over the 40 minutes it used to take to get a charge of 80 percent. Parker also stated that when the company distributes upgrades to all owners, ongoing updates over the air would increase the efficiency and range of the entire portfolio.

While finding an easily accessible charger is a challenge, Polestar 2's incorporation of Google Maps into the tech core means that your projected range is presented every time you go to a new location or add a stop along the route. On my day trip, I arrived at each destination with a few miles longer range than the system predicted, which was a nice surprise considering I misjudged my return to LA and waited in Westside traffic for 45 minutes, while the range hovered around 20%.

On the road

The Polestar 2 Single engine is smooth, quiet and fast. Polestar claims that it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in seven seconds, which, although not much, is enough to get you stuck in highway traffic, especially given the low torque.

On the prototype I was driving, I was able to change some driving characteristics, such as steering feel and single-pedal braking, as well as switch several driver assistance systems, such as lane change warning, on and off. Unfortunately, as I said before, my test car lacked some of the sophisticated driving aids that Polestar offers in the Pilot package, so I could not test them.

The availability of braking mode (B-mode), or single-pedal driving, is one of the pleasures of electric cars. You essentially change the amount of regeneration you get from the scroll wheels when you release the throttle.

In Polestar 2, you can scroll to a stop or activate the "Creep" mode option via the infotainment screen, and the car will drive carefully without the need for the accelerator pedal. In Los Angeles traffic, I drive most of my electric vehicles with the worst braking setting because it is the most efficient and fun choice. While most people may find the Polestar 2's highest setting astonishing, it's easy to use after a few minutes of getting used to it. However, I disabled the "Creep" feature because it felt out of place when combined with the regenerative braking option.

In addition, I spent 90% of my time behind the wheel with the strictest steering option, "Firm". The mechanism changes the steering ratio based on the setting you select. Fast gives the fastest response, while smaller settings make Polestar seem roly-poly and sluggish.

The right to repair, recondition, recycle

Polestar does not apologize for its commitment to environmentally friendly production and materials. For this purpose, the business plans in advance for the entire battery life of its cars. According to Parker, the company uses blockchain to track cobalt mining for its batteries and is considering using the technology to track additional materials used in car construction.

Polestar has also considered the life cycles of the battery and the owner quite carefully.

When parts fail, the stacked packages for the Polestar 2 Single engine can be replaced separately. Parker said that if one of the components breaks, the company takes the material and reuses it to build a closed system. "We are investigating the remanufacturing and recycling of the returned components," he continued. Polestar also provides comprehensive repair instructions as well as access to a catalog of components that owners can purchase directly from the manufacturer.

Prices for the Polestar 2 Single engine start at $ 45,900 and vehicles will be available from January 2022, in addition to the destination fee and taxes. With the federal tax relief of $ 7,500 - as well as government incentives - the price can be reduced to about $ 35,000 (again not including taxes and destination fees).