--- title: "Polestar 2 Takes Direct Aim At Tesla’s Model 3" description: "The new premium EV brand is welding the best parts of the Tesla product and ownership experience to proven Volvo underpinnings." date: "2019-02-27" modified: "2019-02-27" authors: - name: "Edward Niedermeyer" job_title: "Senior Editor, Mobility Technology" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/edward-niedermeyer" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/26661/polestar-2-takes-direct-aim-at-teslas-model-3" categories: - "Car Tech" - "Electric Vehicles" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Polestar News" tags: - "2" - "Electric Cars" - "Electric Vehicle" - "Hatchback" - "Polestar" - "Polestar 2" --- # Polestar 2 Takes Direct Aim At Tesla’s Model 3 ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* Ever since the Tesla Model S showed that the market for premium electric cars is bigger than even Tesla had expected, there's been talk of competition coming for the California-based automaker. But of all the premium electric cars labeled with the already-tired "Tesla Killer" name, none is gunning so directly for the heart of the newcomer's business as the new Polestar 2 electric sedan that was [just unveiled by the former Volvo performance brand](). Everything about this car, including the performance, the pricing, the novel brand, the nontraditional sales and service model, and even the name put Tesla's Model 3 directly in the Polestar 2's sights. The 2 is the first pure electric vehicle built on the Volvo Compact Modular Architecture that underpins the XC40, as well as the Lynk & Co brand vehicles. A 78 kWh LG Chem battery pack is set to deliver 408 HP and 487 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels, giving the 2 a 0-60 time of under five seconds and a 275 mile EPA range target. An available performance will up the 2's handling potential, with Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes, 20-inch wheels, and stickier rubber. The 2 will also feature the first native Android infotainment system, with all the Google Maps, apps and assistant features you'd get in a Google phone on the car's 11-inch touch screen. Like Tesla, Polestar will launch the 2 with a top-of-the-line Launch Edition starting at $63,000 and will make more affordable versions available over time, with prices eventually reaching the $40,000 range. This car is not burdened with Tesla's mission to deliver a $35,000 price point, however, and as a result, production should top out at around 50,000 units per year (all built in China) compared to the Model 3's planned 500,000 units per year. Polestar's small, Tesla-like showrooms will, in fact, be franchised dealerships, but you will still be able to buy the car online and all service will be done through remote pick-up and drop-off. I've long hated the "Tesla Killer" sobriquet because it implies that a single car can singlehandedly take down a company, which is something that basically never happens. The Polestar 2's 50,000 unit production volume certainly won't kill the Model 3 singlehandedly, but the car and the surrounding strategy do show something that Tesla should be extremely scared of: established automakers starting to adopt the attributes that have made Tesla so unique. Unburdened by a big established brand or settled ways of doing things, Polestar is picking the elements of Tesla's product and ownership experience that people like most—punchy electric performance, avant-garde aesthetics, smartphone-inspired interiors, boutique showrooms, online sales and remote service—and welding them to proven, well-validated Volvo underpinnings and operational know-how. If they can replicate even a significant portion of the Tesla experience without all the startup-y warts, it's only a matter of time before Tesla's once-impenetrable mystique starts to fade. Watch the live Polestar 2 global unveling here: https://youtube.com/embed/-kDCUBuWZ6w ## Author The former Editor-in-Chief of The Truth About Cars, Ed has contributed to BloombergView, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other outlets. He co-hosts The Autonocast, one of the most-followed podcasts on autonomous and advanced mobility tech. His book "Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors" will be published by BenBella Books in 2019. ### Author social links [Twitter]()