We keep saying that folks will always want to modify their cars to produce more power, and now Polestar helps prove that with a power upgrade for the Polestar 2 luxury EV passenger car. However, instead of having to purchase an aftermarket handheld tuner to unlock extra ponies, it’s done via an over-the-air (OTA) update. For now, the upgrade is limited to Europe and is only for the long-range, dual-motor version of the Polestar 2.
What It Unleashes
The upgrade, found in the Polestar Extras webshop, is a software tune that roughly puts out an extra 67 hp and 15 lb ft of torque out of the dual electric motors. This takes it from 405 hp and 487 lb ft of torque to 472 hp and 502 lb ft of torque. That is a substantial increase in over the standard tune and should really liven up the Polestar 2.
I’m Not Getting Full Power From the Start?
You could look at this from a cynical point of view by asking, “Why didn’t it come with this much power in the first place?” It reminds us about the controversies surrounding “on-disc DLC” in the video game world, in which you have to pay extra to unlock content that’s included but inaccessible to the user in the original purchase. But there’s another way to think about it.
From a technology standpoint, it’s similar to paying someone to overclock your computer. The potential has always been there, but that was the safest tune out the box to get you the best usable life and range out of your EV over getting absolute maximum power that would cut down both of those issues. Or, you can also look at it from the ICE world and handheld programmers that are offered by the aftermarket that would be a similar argument: max mileage (for both vehicle life and fuel consumption) versus max power. The general user wants the longest life out of their product, vehicle or otherwise.
Will It Come to the U.S.?
The upgrades will begin to be offered in Europe, then the U.S. and Canada in the spring of 2022. Other markets are coming “in the future” according to Polestar. The cost for this upgrade will be about $1,130 at the time of this writing. While you may think that’s a steep price for a tune, you may want to look again.
If you come from GM LS V-8 handheld tuners, you’re probably used to those programmers costing around $500-700. The price for a European performance programmer is usually higher than even the price Polestar is offering its OTA programming for. Even Ingenext’s tuner for the Tesla Model 3 is only $30 less, again at the time of this writing. The price is in line with the current aftermarket value of an EV performance tune or programmer.
There’s also another thing to think about. While some handheld tuners could do 67 hp out of the box, you might have some issues with emissions testing. Thankfully, the Polestar 2 is an EV and there are no tailpipe emissions to worry about, making it all that much more appealing.
Keyword: Polestar 2 Gets Optional 67 HP Upgrade Via OTA Tune