The Polestar 2 Now Has 469bhp Thanks To An Over-The-Air Software Update

When Polestar put together an experimental, 469bhp Polestar 2 prototype for the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year, it seemed like only a matter of time before some of the car’s upgrades made it to the production version. Some were more suitable for customers cars than others, but the power upgrade seemed the most obvious - it requires only a software tweak.

Sure enough, the Volvo subsidiary has announced that in “select European markets” it’s now possible to purchase that very same patch on dual-motor 2s, offering a 67bhp increase. Torque meanwhile rises from 487lb ft to 502.

Applied remotely, the upgrade provides the power and torque increases between 43 and 81mph, dropping the 0-62mph time from 4.7 to 4.4 seconds. 50 to 80mph meanwhile takes a mere 2.2 seconds, representing a half-second improvement.

We aren’t expecting Polestar to turn up the wick any further. The motors could actually take more, chassis engineering chief Joakim Rydholm told CT at Goodwood earlier this year - the limiting factor is the stock inverter. But still, even in a heavy car like this (2.1 tonnes), 469bhp is plenty.

Speaking about the software fiddling, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said: “The upgrade highlights how connected technologies can transform the relationship a car company has with its customers…It [the 2] is such a fun car to drive already, but with this upgrade, we can offer even more to our customers who might be after a little extra excitement.”

See also: Polestar 2 Review: The 402bhp EV That Might Tempt You Away From ICE

To begin with, the over-the-air update is available in the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Denmark, Germany and Austria at an “average” price of €1,000. The US and Canada will join the party in spring 2022, and other markets “will be confirmed in the future.”