Polestar is taking a leaf out of Tesla’s book by introducing a performance upgrade for the dual-motor, long-range Polestar 2 that can be downloaded and installed over the air.
Polestar has released an update for its new Polestar 2 that brings a considerable 50kW and 20Nm boost to performance in the battle against its Tesla Model 3 rival.
The latest over-the-air (OTA) update released according to Polestar’s official Australian website is software version P1.8, which does not include the upgrades. In Europe right now, however, it can be downloaded via the company’s Polestar Extras web shop and installed fully remotely.
Polestar claims that the upgrade also improves general powertrain responses, and results in a 0-100km/h time reduced by 0.3 seconds to 4.4 seconds. Mid-range performance is also increased, with the time taken to accelerate from 80km/h to 120km/h reduced by half a second to 2.2 seconds.
Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath says the upgrade “highlights how connected technologies can transform the relationship a car company has with its customers”.
“The driving experience in Polestar 2 is something we are really proud of,” Ingenlath continued. “It is such a fun car to drive already, but with this upgrade we can offer even more to our customers who might be after a little extra excitement.”
It is not clear if the performance upgrade has an adverse effect on the car’s quoted efficiency figures or range. Priced at around €1,000 (AUD$1581) depending on market, it’s available to install in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Availability in Canada and the US is expected later, and we have reached out to Polestar Australia to see when it may be available here.
The Polestar 2 goes on sale in Australia in January 2021.
Lawrence Allan