Polestar Adds 4, Tesla Plunges, Chrysler Hits 100
A periodic look at news of interest to active EV shoppers, intenders and the just-plain EV curious.
Polestar 4 Now on Sale in U.S.
Polestar’s rear windowless performance SUV-coupe is now on sale in the states, in both single- and dual-motor configurations, with deliveries to customers scheduled to begin in the fall.
Pricing for the two-row, five-seat fatback crossover starts at $57,800, substantially under the more luxury-oriented Polestar 3 SUV’s base price of $68,900.
The two models are close in size – very close – with the 3 a mere 2.3 inches longer overall than the 4, but a full 3.1 inches taller. The 4, however, has a half-an-inch longer wheelbase, and is about 1.6 inches wider than the 3.
For tose who measure worth – or value – in performance, the dual motor version of the Polestar 3 is the compamy’s fastest model ever, capable of a 3.7-second 0-60 mph sprint.
The 3, however, is built on a platform shared with Volvo (a sister company) while the 4 is built on a platform designed by corporate parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group , a major Chinese automaker, and shared with models from other Geely brands.
For the U.S. market, the 3 is built in the U.S. and not subject to import tariffs while the 4 is built in South Korea and subject to a 25% tariff on imported autos. We don’t know at this point whether that means the 3 would be a lot cheaper if that imported auto levy was dropped, or whether Polestar is eating the tax – probably a little of both.
In any event, we’ll bring you more on the Polestar 4 as soon as we can get into one (so far, we’ve had seat time in every other Polestar model – that would be the 1, 2 and 3 – and liked them all).
Meantime, we can report that both versions of the Polestar 4 use a 100 kWh battery pack (94 kWh usable), have NACS charging, and come standard with 20-inch alloy wheels, panoramic glass roof, adaptive cruise control, 360 parking camera with 3D view, and energy saving heat pump, 11 kW Level 2 AC charging, power operated tailgate, wireless phone charging, digital key for Apple devices, and 8-way electrically adjustable driver seat and 6-way adjustment for the passenger seat. Polestar’s Pilot Pack of advanced driver assistance features , including adaptable cruise control and lane-keeping assist is also standard.
About that missing rear window. It was removed to allow for the sharply sloped fastback design, so drivers’ view out back is via a digital mirror display from a roof mounted rear-view camera.
Beyond that:
- Polestar 4 Long Range Single Motor: rear-wheel drive, 273 horsepower, 253 pound-feet of torque, Polestar-estimated 300 miles range, $57,888 base price -including $1,400 delivery.
- Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor: all-wheel drive, 544 hp, 506 lb.-ft., Polestar-estimated 270 miles of range, $64,300 base price.
- Each can be had with an optional Plus Pack, at $5,500, which includes a head-up display, automatically dimming exterior mirrors, 12-way electrically adjustable front seats with manual leg extension, power reclining rear seats, and illuminated Polestar front logo, MicroTech woven textile upholstery from recycled plastic, 3-zone climate control with rear controls and a rear entertainment screen, a heated steering wheel and rear seats, and a Harman Kardon Premium sound system.
- The dual-motor version also can be ordered with a $4,500 Performance Pack that adds 22-inch forged alloy wheels, Polestar Engineered chassis tuning, Brembo 4-piston brake calipers in Swedish gold and on Polestar performance brake discs, summer performance tires, and gold seat belts and valve stem caps.
Tesla Bargain Time?
We try to stay out of politics here at TheGreenCarGuy.com, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk is eyeballs deep in ’em and it affects his Tesla EV brand, so…..
Musk and President Trump’s beautiful friendship seems to be over, but it lasted long enough to do a lot of damage to a lot of folks who will be affected by federal payroll and program cuts ordained by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency before things started falling apart.
Still, Musk is now calling for Trump’s impeachment and Trump is threatening Musk’s business empire (a very presidential thing to do, no?) and as all that unfurled as the week ended, Tesla shares plummeted. wiping more than $150 billion off the market value of the company on Thursday.
Tesla started the day worth nearly $1.1 trillion, and while a bit more than thegreencarguy makes in a day, $150 million isn’t going to push Tesla into bankruptcy.
It could, however, lead to some price adjustments that could make some Tesla models real deals as Musk and the company struggle to regain some of the luster rubbed off by his political (mis)adventures and the disaster that is the Cybertruck.
Musk has shown himself to be a fairly distasteful person, but Teslas are still awfully good EVs and the Tesla nameplate and logo are fairly easy to remove from the sheet metal if you are loathe to advertise for him but still want one of his company’s cars.
So, shoppers, keep an eye on the Tesla website to see if prices fall in a bid to help Tesla regain some of the sales it has lost in the past few months. There might be bargains to be had.
Special Edition Pacifica Hybrid
Chrysler is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and as part of all that is releasing a special edition of its Pacifica lineup, which includes the industry’s first plug-in hybrid minivan.
So, for those who like this kind of stuff, you can now get a Pacifica Hybrid – a vehicle we haven’t been in recently but very much liked when it was introduced way back in 2017 – with some special content including a Chrysler wing grille badge in semi-gloss Granite Crystal, a Chrysler wing decal that says “Est. 1925”, alloy wheels with a polished Luster Gray finish, and fascia and grille trim in semi-gloss Granite Crystal.
