Head-to-head: Everything electric

EVs are about more than just instant torque and acceleration. Here we take a look at our test duo’s brake regeneration and steering modes

Polestar 2

Both of these cars are sportier EVs that allow involving driving with just one pedal. the 2 has three levels of regenerative braking: off, low and high. In the strongest setting, the level of braking is similar to gently applying the brakes in a conventional car to the point that, with enough anticipation, you can drive through bends and down country roads without needing to touch the brake pedal or trouble those Brembo calipers.

It will even bring the car to a complete stop in town, so the Polestar offers proper one-pedal driving, just like the tesla.

It’s nicely calibrated and offers more retardation at medium and lower speeds, so when you lift off at higher speeds on the motorway or a dual carriageway, the car coasts a little more and isn’t as aggressive in the way it slows down, helping comfort.

the three steering settings – light, standard and weightier – change the character of the car subtly as well. there’s no more feedback in any of the heavier modes, but the extra weight means it feels nicely planted and stable in quicker corners.

Using tech engineered for Volvo’s road cars, it’s clear Polestar and its siblings have the benefit of years of automotive engineering under their belts, because it’s one of the best-driving EVs we’ve tried yet.

Tesla Model 3

thE way Polestar structures its different modes and settings is no surprise, because they’re very similar to the how tesla does it, and this is the brand that set the template for performance EVs at this price.

there are two modes for the accelerator response: Chill and Standard. the former softens the throttle for a more progressive response, while the latter gives you more of the car’s huge performance more quickly in reaction to throttle movement; response is instant and feels even sharper than the Polestar, although that’s probably amplified by the extra power, too.

the Model 3 has three steering modes: Comfort, Standard and Sport. We think

Comfort or Standard are the nicest. there’s even less information relayed to the driver through the wheel rim in the tesla, while the Sport setting feels artificially heavy and too quick for the chassis.

this element means the Model 3 isn’t quite as engaging as the Polestar. But its brake regeneration is really nicely judged to the point where, in the stronger of the two settings on offer, you can string a series of corners together nicely.

It proves that EVs can be fun to drive, even if there isn’t as much interaction with the car as in a normal sports saloon.

the stronger regeneration setting will bring the tesla to a halt as well.