The first six Polestar 2 electric vehicles were delivered to Australian customers on Thursday, marking a new chapter in the development of a strong market for electric sedans in the local market.
The Polestar 2 is described as a “fast-back” rather than a sedan by the performance brand created by Volvo and Geely, and  is priced from $59,000 (plus add ons and on road costs), and already has 220 in stock in Australia or on the way, with  many more on the wait list.
The first delivery was claimed by Sydney-based David Gillespie, the chief information officer at energy giant Alinta Energy, who quickly took to social media to celebrate the milestone.
“Picked up the new car, 1st customer in Aus to pick up,” Gillespie posted on Facebook. “Great handover and explanation of all of the functions. Samantha Johnson MD of Australia was there. 40k drive home was great although 1 pedal drive took a bit of getting used to.”
(One pedal driving refers to the strong regeneration of electric vehicles – depending on individual settings – which means that drivers have little cause to touch the brakes, except in the case of a sharp stop or an emergency. The regeneration puts charge back into the battery).
“It’s stunning to drive,” Gillespie told The Driven. “The acceleration is just phenomenal.” Gillespie said he had also driven the Tesla Model 3, but “there is something about this one. It’s very nice.”
The Polestar 2 starts from $59,900 for the basic version, and is available in either a single-motor or dual-motor option with a standard-range (440-474km WLTP) or long-range battery (510-542km WLTP). The single motor long range option costs another $5,000, while the dual motor option costs an extra $10,000.
Still, this puts it below the pricing of the more established Tesla Model 3, which recently announced price rises of between $3,000 and $4,000 in Australia for its standard range plus variant and the long range and performance variants.
Gillespie went for the long range dual motor option, with 20″ wheels. “I wasn’t planning to get the Dual Motor or 20” wheels but didn’t want to wait till July so this was the closest preconfigured I could find,” he said. Looks like it worked out well for him.
Polestar will start deliveries of the Polestar 2 in Melbourne on Saturday, other states later this month and with Western Australia to follow in April.
See our reviews of the Polestar 2 below:
Polestar 2 review: It drives as well as a Model 3, and it’s about the same price
Polestar 2 review: Breaking through the ICE with a chilled attitude
And also take a look at our EV Models page for details, reviews, and articles on all available EVs in Australia.
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.