Swedish automotive brand and Volvo subsidiary Polestar announced this week that, based on feedback from owners of the company’s Polestar 2 all-electric crossover, the car now features the A Better Routeplanner app in its Android Automotive-based infotainment system.
The A Better Routeplanner (ABRP) app is a hugely popular smartphone app built specifically to help EV owners map out the best driving route that includes EV charging stations.
Route planning done by ABRP takes into account additional factors such as the car’s state of charge (SOC) and energy consumption, vehicle load. The new app for the Polestar 2 was built by the original creator of ABRP and is therefore designed specifically for the Android Automotive infotainment system.
Additionally, routing planned by ABRP can also be transferred to Google Maps, allowing Polestar 2 drivers the ability to continue using the car’s integrated navigation system.
“We quickly identified a need for ABRP to find its way into Polestar 2,” said ABRP founder Bo Lincoln. “Thanks to Polestar’s open developer portal and Android Automotive OS emulator, we worked on the app before approaching Polestar with the proposal to roll it out into the car.
Polestar was quick to use this news as proof of the benefits of running Android Automotive OS in its Polestar 2, allowing app developers to rely on the Android ecosystem to rapidly and effectively develop new apps for the car.
The Polestar 2 is expected to arrive in Australia by the end of the year, along with four other markets across the Asia Pacific region including New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore.
“The brand is gathering real momentum, and it is great to be expanding with Polestar 2 beyond our initial global markets in China, North America and Europe,” says Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, speaking in early March.
Local pricing is not yet confirmed, but as the Polestar 2 launch edition is priced from £49,900 in the UK expect – which converts to around $AU$90,000 – it is therefore likely to be priced somewhat above the Tesla Model 3 Long Range, which in Australia sells from $A81,900.
