Polestar 3 Dual Motor 2024 Owner Review

‘Polestar 3’ unsurprisingly drives a Polestar 3 Dual Motor 107kWh 2024.

This is P3’s second electric car, they’ve owned the Polestar 3 less than a year and drive 15,000-20,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 5,000-10,000 miles and they achieve 230 miles from an 80% charge.

P3 added the Pilot & Plus Packs.

Why did you choose this car?

Wanted something a bit more premium following the Tesla Y but also something a bit different to the usual Audi Q6, BMW iX etc.

Positives

Fantastic drive
good performance
really comfortable
well-equipped as standard
interior is very premium as is the overall aesthetic of the car
can drive 3-400 miles and jump out as if it’s been only 20 miles!

Negatives

Has suffered with reliability/build issues in the first few months. Spent a total of 6 months waiting for a replacement wiring loom as the car kept throwing up warning lights and deactivating safety systems due to severe water ingress. The software had quite a few glitches and some advertised features were not available for the first few months until after several key updates.

Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?

Yes, battery still feels as good as when it was new. Battery is charged to 90% as per Polestar’s recommendation for the P3.

Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been? Have they been rectified or not?

Water ingress into the main ‘engine bay’ harness causing massive issues with the vehicle’s safety systems. Also, the onboard charger failed after the first 3 months. On both counts, the vehicle had to be recovered to Polestar’s Service Centre and had to wait months for parts.

What are the standout technological features of the car?

Great torque vectoring
driver assist pack is very good with adaptive cruise and steering assist as standard
Bowers & Wilkins stereo is top notch with active noise cancelling
adaptive air suspension really helps with ride control and comfort.

Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about your electric car

Whilst I have suffered with early adoption problems that have left the car stuck in the service centre, I have to say the support from Polestar has been second to none. They kept me completely mobile during the time my car was at the service centre and generally kept me up-to-date with everything that was happening. Having worked in the trade for 13+ years I know things go wrong and it’s frustrating, however, it’s how it’s dealt with that matters. I was put in a premium Polestar replacement (not just the cheapest EV/hire car they could find) and everyone was very helpful and understanding.

What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?

Not being able to get the equivalent distance on a charge compared with a diesel vehicle.

Honestly, it’s hilarious! On a good long run I can do 300+ miles on a charge. At that point, anyone should be taking a break and the car is charged back to 80%+ within 1/2 an hour – time for a comfort break and a coffee, the same as a diesel and far more comfortable.

What’s also funny is when you read/hear that EVs are not as much fun to drive – as a petrolhead I can say they can be just as much fun to drive!!

What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?

Volvo EX90, Audi A6 e-tron Avant, BMW i5 Tourer/iX3 & the Model Y as I need a car for shipping the family around with all their stuff plus carting bulky equipment around for work; so something with loads of space that’s comfortable too.

Electricity supplier & tariff

Octopus – can charge for next to nothing overnight.

What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?

bp pulse, Gridserve and InstaVolt tend to be my go to networks. I also use the Tesla Superchargers where they have their Gen 3 chargers installed. Over the last 18 months the infrastructure has got significantly better with loads of 150kW+ chargers appearing. I do feel though that public EV chargers are very overpriced. Knowing average business rates are 40-45p per kWh, paying upwards of 80p seems to be pure profiteering (Tesla are the exception at about 45p).

Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running your Polestar 3

Charging at work and home saves a fortune on running costs. Also, there’s no real maintenance costs to speak of. BIK contribution still falls way short of what I would otherwise pay so as a company car an EV is the the only way to go. I suspect the £600 extra ‘pay per mile’ tax from 2028 may change my mind though…