Polestar 3 achieves 581 miles on a single charge
That's a world record for an electric SUV. But would it really convince you to buy one?
How far is far enough? This remains a hot topic whenever anyone wants to discuss EVs, especially when buying and living with one. Carmakers are famously flexible on the subject, and will bend their opinion to fit whatever it is they are selling. If it’s a city car in the showroom, they’ll patiently explain that 99.8 per cent of people (or whatever) commute less than 35 miles to work and therefore 150 miles of range is perfectly adequate. If, however, it’s a large family or luxury car they want to shift, they will typically attempt to eke out the maximum possible distance like they were selling U2 spy planes. More, simply put, is better.
Consequently, any claim for ‘longest journey record’ ought to carry some weight. People would very much like to think that the EV they are buying (or are interested in) will rival the mile-accruing abilities of a parsimonious four-cylinder diesel engine - and who can blame them? Public charging is even less fun than refuelling and the thought of being about to get from London to Manchester - and back again - without sitting forlornly next to a plug socket for half an hour, is a welcome one.
Nevertheless, these achievements - even when backed up by the self-appointed and vaguely scientific adjudicators from Guinness - must always be taken with a self-evidently large pinch of salt. Polestar is the latest to underpin its wares with the help of ‘professional efficiency drivers’ (note to Gothenburg: driving very slowly is not a profession). Apparently, three blokes, toiling in shifts and trailed by an AA van, managed to get an unmodified Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor 581.3 miles before throwing in the towel - a world record so far as battery-powered SUVs are concerned.
At face value, that number is certainly striking. It exceeds the WLTP figure of 438 miles by a lot - and as anyone who owns an electric car will tell you, simply equalling the official number is very good going indeed. Ditto returning a 19.5kWh per 100 miles efficiency figure, which, again, is eye-popping. “It goes to show how battery range has improved exponentially over the past few years,” said Polestar MD, Matt Galvin. “For a large luxury SUV to go way beyond a London to Edinburgh distance is truly impressive.”
Of course, while it was achieved in the real world, it would be a stretch to suggest that the conditions replicated real-world behaviour. For one thing, it took the team 22 hours and 57 minutes to accrue that many miles, which suggests a level of patience best thought of as ‘saintly’. Or outright Michael-taking, depending on your view of slow-moving traffic. Additionally, the team chose Norwich as a starting point chiefly for its lack of hills and plotted a route to match. It also conceded that had there been more rain (or more precisely, standing water) the attempt would’ve been scuppered.
Time, gradients, inclement weather. All things that the nation either suffers for the lack of or else possesses in too generous supply. Either way, the idea that ‘long distances are perfectly achievable with minimal fuss’ is only true based on your perception of ‘long’ and ‘fuss’. The Polestar 3 will get you from London to Manchester with very little fuss, we don’t doubt. But if you wanted to get back again, you’d either need to be exceptionally fussy with the accelerator pedal - or accepting of the moderate fuss that is finding and using a public charger. Sadly, there is no prize-giving for enduring the latter.
Not much of a record when your average speed would get you pulled over for being a menace
Edit - just did the maths as the story didnt cover it, but rounding, they averaged 25mph
Range is impressive and I think the Polestar 3 looks great in person.
More generally, (& as covered in the article) I think fixation on EV range continues to be an irrelevant measure for many people and many use cases. In my personal experience, in a year of EV ownership I’ve used a public charger once for 20 minutes, 99% of charging has been at work for free.
As such, not once have I looked at / calculated/ cared about kw/h, in the same way that I’ve never paid any attention to MPG.
Not much of a record when your average speed would get you pulled over for being a menace
Edit - just did the maths as the story didnt cover it, but rounding, they averaged 25mph
Lee could hitch a 50-tonne trailer to his X5 40d and drive double that distance at an average speed of 130mph. He'd still have over 100 miles left in the tank at the end. Comfort breaks? Not necessary, he has a cyborg body that doesn't feel pain, an IV drip for sustenance and only needs to use the toilet once every three days
(Just kidding Lee
)Not much of a record when your average speed would get you pulled over for being a menace
Edit - just did the maths as the story didnt cover it, but rounding, they averaged 25mph
te.Not much of a record when your average speed would get you pulled over for being a menace
Edit - just did the maths as the story didnt cover it, but rounding, they averaged 25mph
There are very good reasons that the rules regarding rest periods for truckers are strictly enforced. I'd gladly never again have to sit through another compulsory refresher course every 5 years, mind - they're incredibly tedious unless the tutors are fun This could alternatively have a headline of "Polestar 3 gets half the range of an EV pick-up truck, while only doing 25 mph" - GM have done over a thousand miles in a pickup truck, also doing around 25mph. So what.
The best I've had on a tank - I'd already driven about 100km after filling. I drove 700kms to a job. Did a few kms in local trips to offices. 700kms home, and I still had 100km range according to the trip computer. With an average speed of 83 kmh.
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