Polestar 3 — First Highway Journey

Final Up to date on: 18th July 2025, 12:04 am

Key Takeaways

• Polestar 3 is a good roadtripping machine (higher than Tesla Mannequin Y in a number of methods)
• Consolation is next-level with air suspension (however the Mannequin Y is a low bar)
• Cost curve rocks
• Vary rocks
• Compatibility with Tesla Superchargers by way of adapter is nice, Electrify America charging wants enchancment
• A Higher Route Planner (ABRP) native Android Automotive app is nice to have, however considerably buggy
• Pilot Help (lane maintaining) is best than Tesla Autopilot in a number of methods, however driver conduct detection is simply too aggressive and sometimes flawed
• Software program high quality basically is just not on the similar degree as Tesla’s, however bugs are within the nuisance severity vary

We not too long ago accomplished a 2,160-mile spherical journey to Fort Collins, Idaho Springs, and Frisco, Colorado, in our 2025 Polestar 3. With many 1000’s of miles of Tesla roadtripping underneath our belts, this non-Tesla highway journey was as straightforward as, and far more snug than, most of the Tesla ones. The very first leg set constructive expectations for vary once we coated 270 miles earlier than stopping to cost. With us needing an earlier bio-break, the rating was people 2, Polestar 1. (Like golf, decrease is best!)

The primary leg additionally had the motive force testing the tolerance of driver conduct detection whereas utilizing pilot help. We had been on a 2-lane freeway once I intentionally ignored warnings to concentrate to the highway by daring to have a look at the middle display for an prolonged time of a number of seconds. The automotive asserted management and insisted it was going to cease and pull over, regardless of the motive force resuming a full consideration place. The squawking and messaging on the instrument panel continued till I wrestled the automotive to a aspect highway, turned it round, put it in park and requested Karen to get out so we may stroll away and permit the automotive to lock (it gained’t lock with somebody within the automotive until a button is pressed on the display). This appeared to reset the pilot help, however the degree of annoyance of being unable to look away for greater than 1–2 seconds brought on me to disable the characteristic. Fortuitously, traffic-aware pace management nonetheless operates and the nag degree is way decrease. I stored pilot help disabled for the remainder of the journey.

I’ve all the time discovered it ironic that these programs require better driver consideration regardless that their biggest worth is to take care of automobile place within the lane when the motive force desires to work together with the automobile interface (map, and many others.). For me, the Polestar implementation has restricted worth. The Tesla implementation in my 2020 Mannequin Y (v3 FSD pc) was marginally much less annoying and the Tesla’s twitchy steering additionally meant the auto steer was extra beneficial whereas the Polestar’s extra relaxed steering makes it simpler to steer manually. As well as, the Polestar has an energetic lane maintaining help. Even when toggled off within the UI, this characteristic continues to work (a bug?) and I’ve determined it’s helpful characteristic as a low-nag steering help.

Vary & Charging

Distances between expenses continued the sample of longer sensible vary within the Polestar in comparison with our Mannequin Y. Granted, the Y had misplaced some vary by the top (about 10% after 80,000 miles), however its freeway vary was all the time a smaller fraction of rated vary than most different EVs. Apparently, the EPA ranges of the 2 vehicles are virtually the identical (310 vs 315 mi). The Polestar has a far bigger battery, about 107 kWh usable vs. about 75 kWh for the Tesla. Thus, the Polestar is a far much less environment friendly EV. Journey effectivity was round 390 Wh/mi. For comparability, taking a look at freeway speeds in summer season months, the Tesla averaged round 330 Wh/mi. Doing the maths, the Polestar’s real-world summer season freeway vary is extra like 275 miles vs about 225 miles for the Mannequin Y.

Time spent DC quick charging on the freeway totaled a bit of over 4 hours, with 35½ hours spent driving. Charging was a bit over 10% of the full time spent with the automotive. This doesn’t depend time charging at degree 2 chargers at 3 totally different accommodations because the automotive is left to cost whilst you do one thing else. The considerably decrease proportion of time spent charging in comparison with the Mannequin Y would appear to be right down to the cost curve. Because the photographs above present, the Polestar continues to be pulling 155 kW at 50% and effectively over 100 kW at virtually 75%. With its greater battery, these are decrease C charges than they’d be on the Tesla, however nonetheless spectacular.

Charging prices are increased on the Polestar as a result of decrease effectivity and better vitality costs. Non-Tesla automotive homeowners should buy a Supercharger membership from Tesla to deliver down the per kWh price, and Electrify America additionally affords memberships for decrease per-kWh pricing. I’ve not finished this, contemplating it to not be definitely worth the bother. At “full retail,” whole charging prices had been $302, or $0.14/mile, and the typical value per kWh was $0.36. Price/mile is equal to $3.08/gallon gasoline in a automobile getting 22 MPG. As a reminder, charging at house continues to be an important deal at about ⅓ the value paid whereas on the highway.

Software program Points

Other than the pilot help points famous above (admittedly, extra options than bugs), there have been varied audio bugs. Utilizing Google Assistant generally works, and at different occasions, doesn’t appear to listen to something. Apple CarPlay options such because the telephone, messages, and Siri additionally fail to hook up with microphone audio and generally speaker audio additionally.

Having ABRP as a local app put in within the automotive’s UI is a good possibility, however the implementation is at present buggy. The app began disappearing from the app house display each time the automotive was put in park and I’d have to allow it once more within the Google Play retailer. Out west the place the mobile connection dropped into LTE from 5G (nonetheless with 4 bars), the app froze and later refused to plan routes. At a key maneuver, the app exited to the app settings web page inflicting us to overlook a flip. Following a route whereas driving, the app would show remaining distance in km, regardless that different components of the app confirmed distance in miles. On one other event, the app confirmed the arrival time two hours early as if that a part of the app was two time zones west of the automotive. At one level, I attempted uninstalling and re-installing the app, however was in a low protection space so needed to wait till the subsequent cease.

Ultimate Ideas

General, the automotive works very effectively. The Journey Log app (particular to Polestar) can be utilized to export journey info that permits detailed evaluation of driving and vitality use. Aside from the audio points, the CarPlay implementation is sort of good. The 1,600-watt, 25-speaker Bowers and Wilkins audio system lives as much as the hype and is basically enjoyable when listening to the music. One other enjoyable characteristic is the air suspension together with raised suspension & hill descent management and adjustable really feel. The energetic torque vectoring rear axle provides the Polestar the nimble really feel of a a lot smaller automotive. Vitality shows are helpful and even rounding to the closest 10 miles for predicted vary is smart given the various variables that go into this quantity. Basically, the Polestar provides nice confidence in that vary numbers change predictably and state of cost projections are fairly correct. We’re wanting ahead to extra enjoyable and cozy highway journeys within the Polestar 3.