Polestar 2 Gets Over-The-Air Power Boost
Polestar is blowing the curve on the Secret Santa parties this holiday season by releasing a performance-oriented software upgrade for owners of the Long range Dual motor Polestar 2 in selected markets good for nearly 70 extra electrified horsepower.
This new software upgrade — good for 67 hp and 15 extra lb-ft of torque — represents the first time Polestar’s aftermarket tuning heritage has been applied to its own electric cars (as opposed to a Volvo or Geely-branded car), and it’s been met with quite a bit of enthusiasm from Polestar 2 owners. More than 400 of them have downloaded the upgrade this month already.
“The upgrade highlights how connected technologies can transform the relationship a car company has with its customers,” offers Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “The driving experience in Polestar 2 is something we are really proud of. 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.”
This power boost was previewed earlier this year when an experimental Polestar 2 was campaigned at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The upgrade gives the already high-output dual-motor powertrain a total of 476 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque, but those numbers are just part of the overall picture. A quicker throttle response has been programmed in to produce an even sportier driving experience than before, while the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint time has dropped to just 4.4 seconds, while accelerating from 80 to 120 km/h takes just 2.2 seconds, beating the standard dual-motor car by a full half-second.
Polestar 2 at Goodwood 2021
US and Canadian Polestar customers can expect the upgrade to be made available sometime in the spring of 2022. In the meantime, you can check out the company’s official press release below, then scroll down to the bottom of the page to let us know your thoughts on this latest go-fast option for the Swedish brand. Enjoy!
Polestar releases downloadable performance software upgrade for Polestar 2
GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Polestar has released a performance-oriented software upgrade for the Polestar 2 Long range Dual motor in selected European markets. The software upgrade represents the first time Polestar has applied its tuning heritage to its own electric cars. It has already seen enthusiastic pick-up from Polestar 2 owners – over 400 upgrades have been downloaded in its first weeks of availability since late November.
Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO 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. 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.”
Born in motorsport in the late 1990s, Polestar’s racetrack and performance tuning genetics are still very present in its modern electric performance vehicle DNA.
Previewed earlier in 2021 in the experimental Polestar 2 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the upgrade adds 50 kW and 20 Nm to the already high-output dual-motor powertrain for a total of 350 kW (476 hp) and 680 Nm (502 lb. ft).
Additional responsiveness also produces a sportier driving experience overall, and the 0-100 km/h sprint time has been reduced to 4,4 seconds. The additional power and torque is available as a ‘boost’ between 70 and 130 km/h, resulting in even more rapid acceleration in the mid-range. Accelerating from 80 to 120 km/h takes just 2,2 seconds, half a second quicker than in the standard car.
With the existing Polestar Engineered performance software tuning business already seeing Polestar applying its engineering expertise to certain hybrid Volvo vehicles, the new development presents an opportunity for fully electric vehicles and allows enthusiastic Polestar 2 drivers to increase the output of the all-wheel drive powertrain and enjoy a sharper driving experience.
The upgrade is rolling out for customers with eligible cars in the Polestar Extras web shop as a software download that is delivered remotely to their Polestar 2 via an Over-the-Air update. The ability to buy online and install remotely also highlights Polestar’s proficiency in the increasingly digital automotive world.
In addition to delivering an enhanced driving experience to customers, the development also allows Polestar to continue to explore alternate revenue streams and further strengthen its financial position ahead of its proposed business combination with Gores Guggenheim, Inc. (Nasdaq: GGPI, GGPIW and GGPIU), which is expected to close in the first half of 2022.
Source | Images: Polestar, via CarBuzz.
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