Volvo/Polestar 2 EV - yep, I'd buy one

I don't know about everyone else, but I feel we have been getting closer and closer to the tipping point where there is an EV I would go out and buy if I had the money. The Tesla Model 3 leaves me cold for some reason, and the Chevy Bolt is just not a car for me, but they both are getting closer to the kind of thing I would say "yep, I'm on board for EVs" and drive daily.

Well today information on the new Volvo/Polestar 2 is out; they are shooting straight at the Tesla Model 3, and this is the first EV I've seen where I could straight up see myself buying and driving one every day. IMO this thing is badass.

5-door hatch, 408 horsepower, 78 kWh battery, two electric motors, range of 275 miles. Estimated $45k base price.

https://jalopnik.com/the-polestar-2-is-volvos-electric-mass-produced-shot-at-1832924642

The new Volvos are very handsome. This thing kinda reminds me of the mid-2000s Subaru Legacy Outback sedans, in a good way. High-riding sedans are kinda cool

I like it!

In related EV news Honda just unveiled their little RWD Urban EV prototype, which is also badass and something I would drive, though it is sadly only going on sale in Europe. 

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a26521388/honda-e-prototype-ev-photos-info/

I like that Volvo. If it came as a wagon, I would really consider replacing my XC70 with it.

That volvo needs like a 2 inch drop in ride height... Otherwise pretty cool!

Gonna be difficult for them to go toe-to-toe with Tesla for the first few years- we won't see this until 2020 and even then (on paper) it seems like less of a buy from a $45,000 Model 3. Even more so with the China factory for Tesla soon going live.

But worse is Google being in that dash. Google has been under some proper fire for doing work with the Chinese government on their "Social Credit" system and extending it into a car irks me even more. I'm excited for all the neat EVs we are starting to see, but the fact that they'll likely have to prove to the US government/EU now that it's not going to spy on you gives me great pause.

When the "Big 4" (GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda) start producing EV's that are essentially normal cars, I'll start getting interested. Although the upcoming VW EV Buzz bus appears to meet my needs better than any of the other EV offerings current or pending, depending on the specs and size. 

Geely has very impressive ev capability being a market leader in China on the topic.  It’s cool to see them bringing it to a performance vehicle rather than a cost conscious consumer vehicle which is their MO for their China market.

estimated $45k USD base price before tarriffs. would probably be closer to $55k once here and that's only if the chinese auto tarriffs come down from 27.5%

all of that being said, i like this a LOT MORE, than the Model 3. just looks much more like a normal car. 

I'm a big fan!

An EV makes a lot of sense for me. I have an 11 mile commute, all surface streets, 3 times per week. Depending on how quickly the batteries discharge, I could theoretically go 1.5-2 months between full charges. 

But at the current prices, I still want something that gets me excited, not something just practical.

Features and styling are one thing.  Build quality is another.  Given Volvo's recent track record regarding reliability, I'd at the least wait and see how well they fare. 

I liked it until I got to the part about Google.

One thing that bugs me with new cars is the amount of data they collect and rumours that the manufacturers are planning to analyse and potentially sell it on.

GIRTHQUAKE said:

Gonna be difficult for them to go toe-to-toe with Tesla for the first few years- we won't see this until 2020 and even then (on paper) it seems like less of a buy from a $45,000 Model 3. Even more so with the China factory for Tesla soon going live.

But worse is Google being in that dash. Google has been under some proper fire for doing work with the Chinese government on their "Social Credit" system and extending it into a car irks me even more. I'm excited for all the neat EVs we are starting to see, but the fact that they'll likely have to prove to the US government/EU now that it's not going to spy on you gives me great pause.

As of last fall, the average selling price of a Model 3 was $60k. And Volvo should still be eligible for the full $7500 EV tax credit, which Tesla no longer is. So price could actually favor the Polestar by a not insignificant amount.

And if you're worried about Google in the dash spying on you, you should be worried about all EVs. Every EV sold in China sends realtime data to their government. Tesla and every other car maker selling EVs in China are already doing this. I read an interview recently with the head of the gov agency that monitors that data, and he claimed they started this practice 10 years ago for the Beijing olympics.

One of the many things I like about that e-Volvo is that it's made by a real car company.  Tesla seems like a company that should be making iPad knock-offs instead of vehicles.

I really like that Honda prototype.  I think I'm maybe five years from having an electric car; I would be interested in the Honda if it was a hybrid.

Apologies for the thread revival. Initial reviews on the Polestar 2 have been out for a bit. Putting aside the personal ethical choices regarding a Google OS in your car, I love the existence of a four-door fastback EV.

The launch edition is $62k for a 78kWh battery with a 233 mile range. Dual motors total 408hp and 487ft-lb gets the 4700lb car to 60mph in 4.1 seconds. Impressive specs for an expensive car.

What interests me more is the non-launch edition that might come later. Can we hope for a single motor RWD version with half the range, a 6 sec sprint to 60mph, and a price below $45k?