Volvo's Polestar became a standalone brand with the launch of the Polestar 1 concept—a stunning two-door grand tourer with 600 hybrid horsepower, a carbon-fiber body, and a price to match—$155,000. But Polestar has said it wants to be an all-electric brand, and for that, it needs an all-electric car. This is the brand's first EV, the Polestar 2. It's got 408 hp and a mission to fight the Tesla Model 3. Polestar drew its own bullseye, describing the 2 as the "first electric car to compete in the marketplace around the Tesla Model 3." It's based on Volvo's CMA platform, which currently underpins the compact XC40 SUV. A 78-kWh battery pack is integrated into the floorpan, which Polestar says improves stiffness. The battery pack powers two electric motors—one at each axle—that produce a combined 408 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque. Polestar says this setup helps the 2 run from 0-62 mph in under five seconds. Range is critical in an electric car, and Polestar claims 275 miles based on the EPA test cycle. That's a little ways off the dual-motor Tesla Model 3's 310-mile range, but better than the single-motor variant's 264 miles. And to make the 2 handle like a true sports sedan, Polestar will offer a Performance Package that consists of Öhlins shocks, upgraded Brembo brakes, and 20-inch forged wheels. Inside, things are quite minimalist, as we've come to expect from Volvo. The centerpiece is an 11-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system that's powered by Android and features integrated Google apps, including Google Maps. For the first year of production, which begins in early 2020, Production begins in early 2020, and for the first year, Polestar will only offer top-spec Launch Edition variants. The Launch Edition will cost $63,000. US pricing for the base-model 2 have not yet been confirmed, but in the German market, such a vehicle will command €40,000 (about $46,000). And because it's electric, the Polestar 2 will qualify for a US federal tax credit of $7500. Much like Tesla, Polestar is pursuing a non-traditional purchasing experience. You'll be able to order your Polestar 2 online, or lease it as part of an all-inclusive monthly subscription service. We'll see the Polestar 2 in person at the Geneva Motor Show next week, where we hope to learn more about this promising car. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>The first all-electric car from Volvo Cars is here. Polestar, the performance sub-brand that was spun out of Volvo in 2017, announced its second car on Wednesday, the aptly named Polestar 2. Billed as a competitor to Tesla’s Model 3, the electric sedan will combine might with smarts, as it will be the first car to feature Google’s new native version of Android for the car. The Polestar 2 should be able to travel up to 275 miles (about 443 kilometers) on a single charge thanks to a 78kWh battery that makes up the entire floor of the car, according to the automaker. It will be quick, too; Polestar says there’s 300kW (about 408 horsepower) to play with, spread across dual electric motors. That all-wheel drive power should help the car get from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under 5 seconds. The Polestar 2 will eventually cost as little as $45,000 — but will start at $63,000 for the first year All this will eventually cost about 39,900 euros, or about $45,000, at the cheapest. Polestar will sell versions of the car that cost as much as 59,900 euros, or about $68,000. But none of that will happen until the second year of production. The version available when the car launches later this year will cost $63,000, and Polestar will make only that “launch edition” car for the first 12 months. Pre-orders are open now, and production begins next year in China (where Volvo’s Chinese parent company Geely is headquartered). Polestar’s launching the car with in an ambitious slate of markets, too: China, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Belgium. That all roughly lines up with what the Model 3 offers. Tesla’s entry-level electric sedan currently starts at $42,900 with rear-wheel drive and 260 miles of range. More expensive models offer all-wheel drive, up to 310 miles of range, and a 0 to 60 time of 3.5 seconds for as much as $70,000. But we won’t know if the Polestar 2 can literally compete with the Model 3 until cars start rolling off the Volvo subsidiary’s manufacturing line in 2020. And if it doesn’t, Volvo itself has plenty more all-electric cars of its own on the way. Grid View Polestar first arrived on the scene in 2017 when the then-new Volvo subsidiary announced the Polestar 1. The brand’s first car was a dashing hybrid performance coupe with 600 horsepower, which was generated by a four-cylinder engine on the front axle and two electric motors on the rear axle. It had limited trunk space because of that odd engine/motor/battery layout — and it cost $155,000. The car was never meant to be for everyone, and so Polestar only planned to make 500 per year at most. The Polestar 2 represents a big step forward, both in the company’s design and technology chops, and in its ambition. It will be the first car Polestar makes at scale, a process that hopefully won’t contain too many hiccups since the automaker can lean on the expertise from parent company Volvo. It’s also a more practical car than the Polestar 1. Polestar 2 is a “five-door” fastback-style car (meaning the rear end opens like a hatchback) with room to seat five. It offers more storage than the Polestar 1, too, since the EV battery pack sits low, making up the floor of the car. Beyond that, the Polestar 2’s interior looks more fully developed and coherent than the one in the Polestar 1, to my eyes at least. The centerpiece is an 11-inch portrait oriented touchscreen where the company’s Android-based infotainment system lives. Car companies have built infotainment systems on Android in the past, but they essentially had to fork the open source operating system and build their own solution on top. What’s more, Google wasn’t involved in those efforts. This meant the cars would wind up with outdated versions of Google’s operating system, which complicated upgrades and security. In 2017, Google announced it was working on a native version of Android for the car with Volvo and Audi as the first customers. It showed a more fully-baked version in 2018. Other automakers have since signed on, but Volvo will be the first to roll out the in-car experience, starting with Polestar 2. Related The head of Android Auto on how Google will power the car of the near future A big benefit to this embedded approach is customers will have instant access to Android Auto-approved apps like Google Maps, or Play Music, or Google Assistant without needing to use their smartphones. Another is that it will have access to the car’s functions, meaning it can control climate settings, or send you maintenance alerts. This native version of Android will also be updatable, meaning Polestar and Google can push over-the-air software updates to improve the car’s functions long after it’s sold. Polestar showed off a slightly working preview version of the OS last month with a web app that worked on iOS devices. It was enough to see that the Polestar 2 interface borrows some design elements from Volvo’s Sensus UI, which isn’t surprising. In fact, that’s one of the selling points for Google’s new approach to building in-car operating systems. Google provides the backbone that makes sure the experience works, but allows automakers to incorporate their own design elements so they can keep the car looking the way they prefer. It’s a huge deal that Google is about to see cars roll out with Android-powered infotainment systems All told, it’s an enormous development that Google is close to seeing cars roll out with infotainment systems powered by Android. It’s a sort of ultimate realization of Android Auto, and it starts with Polestar 2. But it will continue with Volvo’s other 2020 models, as well as future Audis, and cars from Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi. Polestar 2 has a lot to offer on paper. It’s got Google-powered software. It’s got specs that line up, roughly, with Tesla’s Model 3. And it’s all backed by the reputation of Volvo, which is about as good as it gets in the auto industry at the moment. But while Polestar wants to sell the Polestar 2 in multiple markets, there’s no getting around the fact that it will be built in China. That could be an issue if the company wants the car to succeed in the United States, which is the Model 3’s home market. The US and China are locked in a trade war that has particularly messed with the auto industry (Tesla included), and there’s no sign of it letting up any time soon.<doc-sep>Photos: Polestar Polestar is Volvo’s new all-electric brand, and while the Polestar 1 coupe was a striking design it’s just a limited-production model . Now, meet the big gun —the Polestar 2, a mass-produced five-door fastback aimed directly at the Tesla Model 3. We know this because Polestar even says so. Advertisement It has 408 horsepower, a 78 kWh battery, two electric motors and a range of 275 miles, specs not far off from the Model 3. Its base price is about $45,000, based on current exchange rates, but $55,000 in the U.S. minus the federal tax credit for the “launch edition.” Whatever, it looks cool as hell, blending sedan, hatchback and crossover designs with big tires and what appears to be a fairly tall ride height to become something truly unique. “Polestar 2 is the first electric car to compete in the marketplace around the Tesla Model 3, with the range starting at a guide price of 39,900 euros. For the first 12 months of production, guide price of the launch edition is 59,900 euros,” the company said, making a rare and all but unprecedented comment about a competitor. Advertisement The car will have Google’s Android operating system natively, with its batteries integrated into the floor of the vehicle in a skateboard design. It goes zero to 62 mph in less than five seconds, a number that is impressive but has become less in the age of electric cars and instant torque. The Volvo-Tesla rivalry will play out in the years to come, but it is a big deal that Google is playing ball with them. Highlighting the technology spearhead role that Polestar plays within the Volvo Car Group, Polestar 2 is one of the first cars in the world to embed an infotainment system powered by Android. The Android backbone provides a solid and adaptable digital environment for apps and vehicle functions to coexist, and brings embedded Google services to a car for the first time – including the Google Assistant, Google Maps with support for electric vehicles and the Google Play Store5. Natural voice control and a new 11-inch touch screen display bring the new interface to life. Advertisement The Polestar 2 will be produced in China in 2020 for “global markets,” according to the company. Our electric future is coming faster and faster. Correction: This story originally stated the Polestar 1 was a concept car. It is a limited-production vehicle. 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By The Polestar 2, a highly anticipated all-electric vehicle from Volvo’s high-performance brand, was officially unveiled on Wednesday. The vehicle is the first all-electric car from the company, and is expected to compete on the same segment as Tesla’s best-selling Model 3. The specs of the Polestar 2 are certainly comparable to the Model 3, with the vehicle being equipped with dual motors that produce 408 hp, allowing the electric car to go from 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds. The Polestar 2 is also equipped with a 78 kWh battery pack using cells from LG Chem, which give the vehicle an estimated range of 275 miles per charge. Particularly impressive with the Polestar 2 is its deep integration with Google’s Android ecosystem. The vehicle’s interior is dominated by an 11″ vertically oriented touchscreen loaded with an Android-powered infotainment system that includes notable apps such as Google Music, Google Videos, and Google Maps. Google Assistant, one of the most robust voice assistants in the market, is also enabled on the electric car. Similar to the Tesla Model 3, Polestar will be offering a Performance package for the electric car, which includes equipment such as Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes, and 20-inch wheels. The base model of the Polestar 2 is expected to start at $45,000, while the fully-loaded version is expected to cost around $68,000. For the Polestar 2’s initial production run, the company will only be making a “Launch Edition” of the car, which costs $63,000. In a statement, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath stated that the Polestar 2 represents a notable step for the company. The CEO also assured would-be customers that the Polestar 2 would be a great vehicle to own and drive. “Polestar 2 is our first fully electric car and first volume model. Everything about it has been designed and engineered with passion and dedication. As an electric performance brand, and through the forthcoming launch of a portfolio of fully electric cars, Polestar is determined to address the world’s air quality challenges. Polestar delivers electric performance cars that are great to own and drive,” he said. Overall, the Polestar 2 appears to be an impressive vehicle. While its estimated production that’s “north of 50,000” units per year represents just a fraction of Tesla’s Model 3 output, the vehicle does provide a great balance between price and features to make it a compelling purchase. In a way, the Polestar 2 could even be dubbed as a threat to premium gasoline-powered cars, considering that it offers the best of traditional auto in an uncompromisingly electric package. The Polestar 2 could ultimately be the first real alternative to the Model 3, particularly as the prices of the two vehicles are quite comparable. The Polestar 2’s $45,000 base variant, for one, can be an competitor to the Mid Range Model 3, which currently costs $42,900 before incentives. The Polestar 2’s $63,000 Launch Edition, on the other hand, could prove itself as a challenger to Tesla’s Model 3 Performance, which currently costs $60,900 before incentives. Watch the unveiling of the Polestar 2 in the video below. Volvo’s Polestar 2 is a dual motor, 275-mile, 78 kWh Tesla Model 3 competitor