Polestar

Polestar’s design ethos creates stylish packages inside and out, and while the majority of the materials used inside the cabin are eco-friendly, the design itself is extremely luxurious and puts it in the luxury car category. Having said that, its entry-point vehicles aren’t priced out of reach, particularly for the battery-electric segment, making for a luxurious car brand that is competitively priced here in Australia, especially considering the long list of features that its vehicles come packaged with.

Prices for Polestar’s vehicles here in Australia start at around $64,000 for the entry-level Polestar 2 single-motor long-range variant, while the Polestar 2 long-range dual-motor is priced from $73,400. The Polestar 3 SUV package is priced at $132,900 for the entry-level long-range dual motor variant, while the Polestar 3 Performance variant is priced at $141,900. Keep in mind that these prices are subject to change, and do not include on-road costs.

Polestar’s range of battery-electric vehicles hasn’t been on sale here in Australia long enough to accurately determine their reliability, though the company has received extremely positive initial reports for their reliability. While battery electric vehicles are complex in their design, they offer noticeable reliability benefits over a typical internal combustion engine which has thousands of different components, while an electric vehicle has a far shorter list of moving parts that can go wrong and cause a reliability issue.

In terms of driving ranges, the Polestar 2 can last up to 635km on the WLTP test cycle on a single charge, while the larger Polestar 3 battery-electric SUV has a range figure of 610km on the same test cycle. In real-world driving conditions and long distance journeys on highways, where EVs are typically less efficient than around town, you can expect to see a Polestar vehicle lasting less than these claimed figures, though they remain usable for most Australians.

While Tesla has enjoyed a huge head-start on the competition, Polestar has been quick to cement itself a reputation in the world of battery electric vehicles, with its latest range offering a driving experience and luxurious features that make it every bit as good as a Tesla, and in some cases, even better than a Tesla. Polestar’s battery sizes, driving ranges and performance on the road are directly comparable to Tesla’s vehicles, while the quality of the interior design and the materials used is typically deemed as superior to that of a Tesla.

Polestar produces its own vehicles, with models like the Polstar 2 and Polestar 3 designed in Sweden and manufactured under its parent company, Geely Holding, in the Chinese city of Luqaio. Polestar has announced that it will also produce the Polestar 3 in the state of North Caroline in the US from 2024.