ELECTRIC TITANS GROUP TEST · VW ID3 · RR GHOST
The premium electric game is hotting up, and these two are arguably the best of the best. Can Volvo’s off-shoot really topple Tesla?
New kid Polestar 2 takes on Tesla Model3 in this EV slugfest. Also the McLaren 620R, Volkswagen ID3, and fancy new Rolls-Royce Ghost
Here we go then, Polestar 2 against Tesla 3. It’s the first time that someone has taken the battle directly to Tesla, so that’s a milestone in itself. No one has gone for the Model S’s jugular other than with plug-in hybrid saloons, and rivals have toyed around the edges of the Model X, building their own take on electric SUVs rather than copying the gawky MPV-ish Tesla. Technically the Polestar is a crossover, but don’t tell me these two won’t be cross-shopped. Almost identical price and size, premium image, these are the cars that are designed to convince mainstream buyers that electric is now a mainstream choice.
A point on that. Both these cars have Performance after their name. You don’t want that. It adds thousands and you just don’t need your Tesla to hit 62mph in 3.2secs (4.4 is plenty fast enough), or want the Polestar with manually adjustable Öhlins dampers and gold trimmings. In fact there’s a strong argument that the entry-level £40,490 Model 3 (reardrive only, smaller battery, lighter, 254-mile range) is the sweetest. For the time being the cheapest Polestar is £46,900, lining up against the £46,990 3 Dual Motor Long Range AWD. On PCP both cost less than £600 a month.
Each places a motor on each axle and slings a plate of lithium-ion batteries between – 75kWh of them for the Tesla, 78kWh in the
Polestar. Yet the Tesla has easily the longest claimed range (348 miles plays 292 miles) and was convincingly the more efficient. Over the course of 500 miles, the Polestar’s electric consumption was 1.7 miles per kWh, the Tesla’s 2.2mpkWh, or expressed more simply: a range of 220 miles in the Polestar, against closer to 270 miles for its rival.
You don’t have to look far to figure this out. The Polestar is a hippo – at 2,123kg, some 270kg heavier. This is because it’s based on an existing internal combustion platform (you didn’t expect that did you?), Volvo’s CMA architecture, that also underpins the XC40. It doesn’t feel unbearably heavy on the road because the weight is carried low down
“BOTH MAKE CLAIMS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO DRIVE THEMSELVES. NEVER FORGET THAT THEY’RE CRAP AT IT”
and this Performance Pack suspension keeps tight, precise control. But you’re in a square-edged, family-oriented crossover. You don’t want that, you want plushness. I haven’t driven a standard 2, but I guarantee it’s the one to have.
As it stands the Tesla rides more comfortably, and that arguably matters more than the fact the Polestar is more engaging to drive. The more softly sprung Tesla gets a bit jiggled from side to side and doesn’t have such impressive body control, and the American car’s steering is pretty nasty – it has this initial resistance that fades as you turn, which is disconcerting, and seems to operate a heartbeat after your input. It doesn’t give you confidence, and makes it tricky to place the car on the road accurately. Sure, it’ll scoot around roundabouts and fire off into the distance, but you’d never describe it as sporty or involving, just effective.
The Polestar is better. You can select lighter or heavier steering, but both are worse than leaving it alone where it’s nicely weighted and accurate. There’s a consistency to the controls that’s reassuring – they’re not as instantly responsive as the Tesla’s, but feel meatier and more satisfying.
In essence though, and compared to anything with a combustion engine, both do a grand job. They cruise silently, accelerate smoothly and are effortlessly easy to drive. Coming from something like an Audi A4 or Nissan Qashqai? You’ll love these. Compelling simplicity, matched by sleek, clean cabins, convincing tech and low running costs make them lovely things to spend time with. They feel advanced and futuristic, and both make claims about being able to drive themselves.
Never forget that they’re crap at it. It’s true of all cars that claim some level of autonomy. They’re furiously myopic, can see only one car ahead, can only react, not predict, and have no nuance or knowledge. Now, within the boundaries they’re allowed to operate in (keeping in lane, a set distance behind other cars), both are good. For £6,800 Tesla offers ‘Full Self-Driving Capability’. Sigh. It’s nothing of the sort. It’ll make amateur hour lane changes several seconds after you wanted them and navigate through major motorway intersections. Maybe this works well in America, but in crowded Britain it soon gives up.
Charging infrastructure. This is why you should be most tempted by the Tesla, why you’ll overlook the froggy front end and evangelical Musk-ateer image. Because Supercharging rocks. Mostly you’ll charge at home, because that’s where it’s going to be cheapest, but the convenience and integration of Tesla’s own network is brilliant. On a long trip? Your car knows when to stop most efficiently, which chargers are free and how long you’ll be there. And with built-in Netflix, fart modes and video games, it’ll keep you occupied while you’re there. Which won’t be for long, since you’ll be taking electricity on board at a rate of 400 miles every hour.
Polestar is trying hard, but it’s paddling in the wrong pond. It’s teamed up with Plugsurfing, so you have a fob that gives you access to the vast majority of chargers, but you’re likely to pay more
(around 35p per kWh, against 24p) and the rate of charge will be slower – about 130 miles every hour on the most common 50kWh chargers. Both can be driven a long way, but stress levels will be significantly lower in one of them.
Both have feelgood, minimalist cabins. Has Tesla taken it too far, doing away with the dashboard entirely and putting everything on a laptop screen? No. The crucial speed reading is top right and easily seen, and there’s a sense of calm to the open, airy dash and clear, white screen. The Polestar wears some carryover from other Volvo models. Nothing wrong with that, Scandi design is welcoming, attractive and thoughtful. It’s all logical, doesn’t try to pack too much functionality in and you feel good in here, you feel safe. Plus it’s beautifully made, the Tesla feels cheap and flimsy in comparison.
The Polestar is a curiously compelling car. People were intrigued by it and loved the way it looked. It attracted huge attention. It’s a styling masterclass for the way it slips between conventional classes and oozes desirability while basically having the proportions of yet another crossover. No Volvo drives as well as this, nor oozes more Scandi calmness and cool. It’s pure hygge.
I know this is less than analytical but I love what it stands for, what it looks like, it’s the one I’d rather be seen driving and yet... the Tesla wins. Given a straight choice between the two, it’s the one I’d drive away. Nothing to do with its speed or autonomy – the two things usually championed by the Teslarati – but because of its ease of use, efficiency and the supercharger network. It’s more complete.
But the Polestar is still a very fine car. If I needed its extra practicality or just wanted it more, I wouldn’t hesitate. It not only runs the Tesla very close, but I’d have it over just about any other family car from a Range Rover Velar to a BMW 3-Series. Polestar is here, it’s serious and it works. You’ll want one. But you’ll probably find the Tesla works better for you.