Power to the People: Polestar Offers 68 HP Software Upgrade

Longtime Volvo fans already know that the Polestar brand once served as the AMG to Volvo’s Mercedes, offering high-performance parts and engine upgrades to make the Swedish turbo-bricks go as fast as possible. Now they’re turning that tuning heritage towards the long-range, dual-motor Polestar 2 in North America, with an optional software upgrade that boosts the electric sport sedan’s output to 476. (That’s a 68 HP gain!)

Behind the wheel, the software upgrade delivers increased “throttle” response and a sportier experience overall. The sprint from 0–60 MPH drops to 4.2 seconds, with even bigger gains felt between 45 and 80 MPH, resulting in solid mid-range acceleration gains that give an overall livelier feel to the Polestar 2.

“With this upgrade,” reads the official copy, “accelerating from 50 to 75 mph takes just 2.2 seconds — half a second quicker than a standard dual-motor Polestar 2.”

“This upgrade highlights how connected technologies can transform the relationship a car company has with its customers,” said Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar. “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.”

The upgrade adds 68 horsepower and 15 lb-ft of torque to the existing 408 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque produced by the dual-motor powertrain, for a total output of 476 hp and 502 lb-ft. And, because it’s software, the “tune” can be downloaded directly to the vehicle without a trip to a Polestar service point, a quick and convenient process for any eligible Polestar owner. The OTA download is available online for eligible owners now in the Polestar Shop website, for a one-time cost of $1195.

And, if all this sounds familiar, that’s because you’ve been paying attention! A nearly identical update was offered to Polestar’s European customers late last year, and has done well enough (both in terms of sales and warranty claims) to merit being brought across the pond. You can check that previous news out here, and then let us know down in the comments what you think of Polestar’s latest tuning program.

Featured images courtesy of Polestar.