Polestar 2 offers permanent performance boost over the air—for $1,195
Polestar is offering an over-the-air software update that boosts output of dual-motor versions of the Polestar 2—for a one-time $1,195 fee.
The new software increases output by 68 hp and 15 lb-ft of torque to 476 hp and 502 lb-ft, Polestar said in a press release. This reduces the manufacturer-estimated 0-60 mph time to 4.2 seconds, but Polestar claims the performance boost will mostly be felt at speeds between 44 and 80 mph. With the update, 50-75 mph acceleration drops by half a second, to 2.2 seconds, according to Polestar.
2023 Polestar 2
This puts the dual-motor Polestar 2 in the same vicinity as the Tesla Model 3 Performance. Anecdotally, the upgrade makes no dent to efficiency or range, Polestar says.
That doesn’t necessarily suggest that with the upgrade the Polestar 2 might achieve the same EPA-cycle results—and this is new ground for how such an example will be treated. The dual-motor Polestar 2 is currently EPA-rated at 260 miles of range and 100 MPGe combined.
Polestar confirmed to Green Car Reports that the upgrade can be applied to any dual-motor Polestar 2—including models from the 2021, 2022, and 2023 model years.
Like Tesla, Polestar has shown that it can deploy fixes for recall issues quickly, over the air. It did just that in 2021 to fix a powertrain issue in some of the earliest Polestar 2 EVs shipped to the U.S. Like that fix, the new performance software can be downloaded and installed over the air without a visit to a service center. Polestar has also resisted the temptation to make the software into a monthly subscription, so customers only have to pay a one-time fee.
2023 Polestar 2
The Polestar 2 dual-motor is already a lot of fun to drive, without the upgrade. Polestar also has more powerful models in the works. The future Polestar 5 will be a performance flagship, with 884 hp and an 800-volt architecture. Based on the Precept Concept revealed in 2020, it’s due to go on sale in 2024 as a rival to the Tesla Model S, Lucid Air, and Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan—as well as the Porsche Taycan to some degree.
