VW ID.3 vs Polestar 2 vs Tesla Model 3
VW’s new ID.3 takes on two other EVs with mainstream ambitions. But is the mass market ready for any of them? And are they ready for the mass market?
VW’s all-new electric people’s car takes on premium rivals from Polestar and Tesla
This just got a lot more pressing, didn’t it? If we really are going to be legislated out of new petrol and diesel cars within 10 years, it’s about time we took a bit more interest in the electric cars currently available, and those about to follow them. Will they offer anything comparable to the pleasure currently provided by internal-combustion engines, or do we need to adjust our expectations?
Here they come, white, grey and green silhouettes tiptoeing through the morning dew, the three newest clear-air temptations, the batteries in their bellies fully charged and the charging cables in their frunks or underfloor bonus boot meticulously furled.
One, the Tesla Model 3, is from a manufacturer that has only ever existed to build electric cars, and which has to a large extent defined what the premium electric car is all about; this is its smallest, most affordable model. Another, the ID.3, is the key product from the maker of the original people’s car as it transitions from traditional powertrains to EV. The third, the Polestar 2, comes from what used to be a performance sub-brand of Volvo, backed by the global might of Geely.
The three cars differ on shape, price and performance – but all are clearly aimed at the same rapidly growing market: not the earliest of early adopters, but those who want to be ahead of the curve on combatting the climate emergency, combining environmental responsibility with a smart package and a degree of driving enjoyment. In an EV comparison many of the usual Giant Test criteria are overshadowed by the need to put remaining range, state of charge, charging infrastructure, available performance and average consumption under close examination. In this complex context, the driver’s self-restraint is a massive factor. Back off early, and you will likely get away with covering between 2.5 and 3.5 miles per kWh. Press on regardless, and these numbers can easily halve.
All-wheel drive with a motor on each axle is the formula for the Tesla and Polestar. VW will offer a similar layout soon, and the choice of battery sizes and power outputs will grow. For now, the two significantly more expensive cars are also significantly quicker. And who could resist, at least once in a while, slurping from the vast amounts of torque – 471lb ft in the case of the Tesla, or the Polestar’s 487lb ft – waiting to be uncorked? This is one area in which Tesla’s experience shows. Like Toyota with the Prius in the early days of hybrids, Tesla is simply better than the others at knowing how to manage batteries, e-motors and performance electronics for a clearly superior range. In contrast, the Polestar 2 over-promises when the batteries are full while under-delivering just before the white flag comes out. The ID.3 is less ambitious and more relaxed overall, and keeps a close eye on all charging eventualities.
Whichever electric car you’re in, the charging infrastructure is far from ideal; in the here and now, even Tesla’s impressive proprietary Supercharger network can involve a level of anxiety and delay that’s best avoided. It’s much more convenient to hook up to the mains at work, or at home, or in the case of the Tesla one of the faster V3 Superchargers. These deliver a phenomenal 250kW of charge – typically double what we consider to be the ultimate in charging in the UK – but there are fewer than 10 here right now. Model 3 owners must pay to use Superchargers, unlike owners of some older Teslas. (It can use regular public chargers too.) ▶
They di er on shape, price and performance, but are all aimed at the same rapidly growing market
All three cars display state of charge, consumption, range and energy flow in detail on prominent touchscreens, which can be even more distracting than handling two smartphones at a time. The most challenging of these devices is the Tesla’s multi-tasking XXL device – recently declared unsafe by a German court. The VW splits the information between a small driver display with limited EV feedback and a larger tablet in the centre of the dash. In combination with the user-unfriendly multi-function steering wheel, the ID.3 is the undisputed king of belt and braces.
It doesn’t help that the Wolfsburg software is slow, capricious and prone to losing touch with the internet. The Polestar’s Android-based system is more user-friendly thanks to the first appearance of Google Automotive Services (now also on the EV version of the Volvo XC40), integrating streaming, navigation and voice control in a plausible and pragmatic fashion.
Imprecise touchsliders, concealed home buttons and unintuitive sub-menus let down all three, though owners will get used to them. But you can’t afford to ignore this vital information, which can help you minimise the amount of time spent waiting for access to a public charger, and then typically twiddling your thumbs for 30 to 40 minutes while the state-of-charge read-out climbs from 10 to 80 per cent. And that’s on a good day; charging can also involve dramatically varying electricity prices, long queues, out-of-order docking stations, illegible displays, randomly reduced charging power, busy hotlines… Nonetheless, the UK network continues to grow, with contactless payment now mandatory here.
But on to happier matters, starting with the Model 3’s rapidity. Our mega-quick Performance edition pips the Ferrari Portofino’s 3.5sec 0-62mph time, and the top speed of 162mph matches the Taycan Turbo S. The Tesla takes off as if it’s been flung from an aircraft carrier’s catapult. It combines total traction and a brutal throttle response, with power and torque joining forces like an explosive chemical reaction. Full throttle feels simultaneously like both an implosion and explosion.
Is this the wrong approach, because these are not hardcore sports saloons but heroic planet savers? Yes and no. As long as the charge is CO2-neutral, and you know where the next charge is coming from, there is no real need to hold back. Even under pressure the Model 3 Performance can still cover 150 miles non-stop. Driven in similarly self-indulgent style (touching 100mph on the autobahn), its rivals run out of juice 25 to 45 miles earlier.
The Model 3’s Autopilot is allegedly fully prepared for future hands-off operation, but right now Tesla does not possess sufficient data and is still waiting for the EU regulators’ permission. In any case, who needs self-driving when a car can be this satisfying to drive yoursel¤?
The Model 3’s lane-change, overtake and follow-to-stop tricks are aped by the Polestar 2 and ID.3, which do an even more accurate job through tighter radii and on tarmac devoid of road markings. The VW slows down by itself when approaching a built-up area, and it pulls over automatically should the driver nod off.
The Polestar has good performance figures – it can do ▶
Long queues, out-of-order docking stations, payment issues, busy hotlines… Tomorrow today? We sincerely hope not
0-62mph in 4.7sec, and goes on to 127mph – and is a commendably involving drive. And although the VW is the least powerful of these cars, it’s lighter than the others, which helps give it a decent 0-62mph time 7.3sec. Top speed is, however, limited to 99mph, which fits the philosophical brief but is frustrating (in Germany, at least…) because the sorted chassis could handle more.
Despite the big wheels and the firm, occasionally jarring, suspension, the VW wins on ride comfort with its mix of general compliance and high-speed cushiness. But that win was there for the taking thanks to its uncompromising rivals. Our Polestar is let down by its extra-cost sports suspension. Feeling better suited to racetracks than the road, the steel-sprung set-up employs a bunch of poltergeists, allows the advanced multi-link rear axle to squeal on rough turf, and at times feels too harsh in everyday circumstances. In this Performance specification, the Tesla is also too firm. It’s upset by transverse irritations, potholes and patched-up blacktop.
The ID.3 doesn’t only provide the smoothest ride by some margin, it’s also quieter all-round.
EVs increasingly offer one-pedal operation, which can mean sharp braking when you lift off the accelerator. The intensity varies depending on the car maker’s ethos and can often be adjusted: to some drivers it’s a blessing, to others an unnatural curse; some are happier using the brake pedal for slowing down, and want the car to coast when they ease off the accelerator, not decelerate sharply.
Which approach is more energy-efficient? Is it best to go one-pedal, and have the maximum amount of decelerative energy recaptured as electricity, or is it better to let a car coast, propelled by its momentum? There’s clearly no simple answer – so much varies from car to car, and from driver to driver. The Polestar 2 lets you choose from three different settings, whereas Tesla and VW have only two. At least the Tesla’s calibration is clear-cut, progressively increasing the deceleration before the vehicle comes to a full stop. The fixed set-ups chosen for the ID.3 are in contrast too much alike, and the slow-down effect is automatically suspended below 20mph. Enhanced coasting is, in all three cases, only possible in the highest-efficiency driving programme.
Thanks to its electric-optimised chassis, VW says the ID.3 fuses the footprint of the new Golf with the cabin space of the current Passat. It doesn’t quite feel like that. The ID.3 is not as wide as the conventional family car, and the rear headroom is to an extent compromised by the ⊲
To some drivers one-pedal operation – which can mean sharp braking – is a blessing, to others an unnatural curse
sloping roofline. Although it is 500mm shorter than the Passat, the hatchback does have a decent-size boot, at 385 litres (or 1267 with the rear seats down).
The Polestar’s rear passenger compartment is fine for six-footers, though their seating position is noticeably upright, and big passengers may find the door opening angle narrow. It’s spacious up front, and it can swallow up to 440 litres of luggage (combined front and rear, or 1905 litres with the rear seats folded). Like the VW, the Polestar has a large, practical hatchback opening, whereas the Tesla is a saloon with a narrow lid making it tricky to stuff its 425-litre conventional rear boot.
In the Model 3 the space behind the front seats feels tight, the thinly upholstered bench is positively uncomfortable, the dropping roofline impedes entry and exit, and on a hot day there is no sunshade to prevent the scalp from simmering under the glass canopy.
After all these years, Tesla still has work to do on quality. The yawning panel gaps and the clatter of the closing doors are the most obvious examples, but not the only instances of ho-hum finish and assembly work.
The Polestar feels – and sounds – well put-together, using good-quality materials wherever you’re likely to come into contact with them.
Unlike Tesla and Polestar, who keep the options list short, VW offers a confusing array, and sometimes bundles the extras together in odd combinations. If you’re on the configurator, take your time. Some early ID.3s were criticised for patchy fit and finish. Ours was faultlessly put together, but the choice of materials was in places lower-rent than you’d expect from the self-proclaimed leading premium marque for the volk.
All three cars fall some way short of perfection, but all also have great strengths, and give reasons to be hopeful about the all-electric future that’s fast approaching. ⊲
The Tesla is a saloon with a narrow lid making it tricky to stu the boot