Inside the world of Polestar: Driving tips

Get the most out of your Polestar 2 and the thrill of electric driving. Discover the features that make driving more enjoyable. This guide provides you with all you need to know in the exciting fuel-free era of Polestar. Let’s Go!

Unlocking the car

You can now unlock the Polestar hands-free – the lock disengages automatically when you touch the door handle if the key is in range. You can also go old-school and use the detachable key inside the fob or unlock the car using the Polestar app once you’ve set it up.

Starting the car

There’s no twist of a key in the Polestar 2. Just sit in the driver’s seat, push down on the brake pedal and change gear into Drive or Reverse, then release the brake pedal. If creep mode is activated, the car will start moving – if not and the auto-hold brakes are activated, just press the accelerator and you’ll start moving.

Creating a profile

Before setting off on a journey, it’s worth spending a few minutes creating a profile as a driver. You need only do this once, as the car remembers your personal settings and makes all the tiny adjustments for you, such as seat position and dashboard brightness preferences.

You can also use voice commands to adjust things such as temperature or media playback while driving.

Search for a route on the integrated Google Maps app, set it to display on the central screen and then you’re ready to go!

Driver display

The driver display has a high-definition 12.3” screen and displays everything you need to know right in front of you – including indicators, warning symbols and gauges. There are two different display modes to choose from. Depending on your journey, switch between Calm View, which only shows you the essentials and Navigation View, which provides a map across the entire display – perfect for journeys of discovery. 

Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS)

The Polestar 2 is 100% electric and, with no internal combustion engine, that means it’s almost completely silent. To combat the dangers around not hearing the vehicle approaching, sound designers have created a unique sonic signature which generates subtle external sounds that alert other road users to its presence – increasing safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Media and audio

Any car journey needs a soundtrack. You can connect to your Spotify or you can download music from almost any app and connect to the media system. The volume control is just to the right of the steering wheel, and you can use voice commands through Google Assistant when you want to change tracks.

Cruise control 

On the interstate, the Polestar hits its stride as it glides along the road. The Polestar 2’s cruise-control features include adaptive cruise control, one-pedal driving, Pilot Assist, automatic speed limiting and more. Just select the function you want and activate it using the steering wheel button. When driving you can adjust the distance and time to the car in front using the interval buttons on the steering wheel.

One pedal drive

Polestar’s regenerative braking uses the motor to decelerate but also allows for one-pedal driving, ideal for long stretches of road. It’s easy to customize the level of regenerative braking you want in the HMI – that’s Human Machine Interface, how you access the car’s features – with the highest level almost eliminating the need to use the brake pedal when on the road.

Climate control 

An impressive feature in the Polestar 2 is the climate bar, which is located at the bottom of the central screen. The most common climate settings can be made directly there, such as setting temperature and seat heating. It can also be altered using voice commands and has separate temperature settings for the front-seat passenger and the driver. Never be too hot or too cold again. 

Charging the Polestar 2

Fast-charging the lithium-ion battery up to 80% or 150 kilowatts takes just 40 minutes in the Polestar 2. The final 20% takes longer. If you’re on a long journey, you may want to stop more frequently but wait less time for charging.

Our Polestar charging guide explores this, and much more, in detail. 

Stopping the car

When you arrive at your chosen destination and find a parking spot using Park Assist, the Polestar 2 can switch off automatically from drive mode when the parking brake has been activated and the driver leaves the car. It is also possible to switch off the car manually, should you, for example, wish to stay in the car but turn it off. It’s that easy. 

If you want to find out about the Polestar 2 in more detail, check out our other guides on its best features, how to charge it, or test-drive a Polestar 2 next time you rent with us.