Polestar 2 History
Polestar's best-selling battery-electric liftback — a premium compact rival to the Tesla Model 3, offered in single- and dual-motor forms.
Photo: “File:2024 Polestar 2 Plus RWD.jpg” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
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Announced in February 2019 and entering production in March 2020 at the Luqiao plant in Taizhou, China, the Polestar 2 is a five-door battery-electric liftback that became the brand's volume seller and mainstream brand ambassador. Its clean Scandinavian cabin — dominated by a portrait centre screen running a Google-embedded Android Automotive OS — quickly became a benchmark for EV interior design.
At launch the Polestar 2 was dual-motor all-wheel-drive only; a more accessible single-motor rear-drive variant joined later. A substantial mid-cycle update for the 2024 model year overhauled the powertrain, raising single-motor output to around 300 hp, growing the battery to up to 82 kWh, and adding 800-series hardware for faster charging. Dual-motor versions produce up to 421 hp.
Polestar confirmed a second-generation Polestar 2 for a 2027 launch. In between, the limited BST Edition 270 and BST Edition 230 brought 470 hp, Öhlins dampers, and Brembo brakes to the liftback for performance-focused buyers.
Generations
First generation (P317) · P317
Photo: “File:2024 Polestar 2 Plus RWD.jpg” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
The debut BEV liftback — Android Automotive infotainment, up to 82 kWh battery, dual- or single-motor.
2020 Photo: “File:2020 Polestar 2 Pilot Plus AWD.jpg” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
2021 Photo: “File:2021 Polestar 2 Pilot Plus AWD.jpg” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
2022 Photo: “File:2022 Polestar 2.jpg” by DestinationFearFan / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
2023 Photo: “File:2023 Polestar 2 Pilot Plus AWD.jpg” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
2024 Photo: “File:2024 Polestar 2 Plus RWD.jpg” by Calreyn88 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Body styles
- 5-door liftback
Notable special editions & performance variants
BST Edition 270 / BST Edition 230
Two limited-run performance variants (470 hp, Öhlins suspension, Brembo brakes) — 270 and 230 examples respectively.
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