The 2023 Polestar 2 Single Motor proves “basic” doesn’t mean “boring”

Enlarge / You're unlikely to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but you might encounter a Polestar 2. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

Polestar is riding pretty high right now. Now listed on the NASDAQ exchange, the company is preparing to introduce three new electric vehicles over the next three years: a large SUV in 2023, a smaller crossover in 2024, and a flagship (read: expensive) four-door coupe in 2025. In March, the company introduced a new variant of the Polestar 2 fastback sedan, the $48,400 Polestar 2 Long Range Single motor.

And after a few days of driving one, I think it's another data point in favor of the argument that less power sometimes means more fun when it comes to EVs. But I must confess I'm scratching my head about the "long range" part, given the useable capacity of the battery pack and the EV's energy efficiency.

As the name suggests, the biggest mechanical change compared to the dual-motor version we drove in 2020 is the loss of the rear motor. Polestar has also made some changes to the way it sources and makes components like the aluminum alloy wheels and the battery case; the company says these changes reduce the carbon footprint of the car's manufacturing by just under 3,000 lbs (1,350 kg).

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