Over the next few weeks, we'll be getting to know the 2025 Polestar 3 a little better. This is the second chapter of our long-term test of the EV.
See also: 2025 Polestar 3 Long-Term Test, Part 1: The Guinea Pig and His Mount
What is one of the very first questions that comes to the mind of a consumer shopping for an EV?
Yes, it's true, there's the tangle of government subsidies. On the federal side, incentives have abruptly disappeared. Will they return? Quebec's are suspended until March 31st. When they return (in principle), how long will they last? At least, some manufacturers have taken it upon themselves to offer a significant (but temporary?) discount on the purchase of one of their EVs.
That said, in the case of the Polestar 3 SUV, subsidies aren’t a consideration – the model’s suggested starting price of $93,200 puts it out of reach.
And, by the way, if you’re concerned about the 100-percent surtax imposed by Canada since last fall on vehicles made in China, don’t be - the Polestar 3 is assembled in South Carolina. Of course, that raises questions regarding North American tariffs, the current flavour of the month. Let’s not go there shall we…
So then we have the second, perennial question that takes precedence over all others when considering an EV: what is the damned thing’s range?
About those tests (sorry, long aside...)
Regarding the Long Range Dual Motor model, Polestar’s official number is 506 km. For the same AWD model but with the Performance package (a $7,200 option that my test vehicle had), it’s 449 km. A surplus of power obviously affects range.
These ratings come from either the manufacturer itself or the laboratories of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which verify the manufacturer's claims.
Nuance: the EPA does not have the staff or the financial means to validate all tests conducted by manufacturers. Only about 15 percent.
Those tests are conducted on rollers (a dynamometer) installed in closed rooms, sheltered from the weather. As you can guess, reality often yields divergent results due to the numerous variations in measurement criteria.
If you use the highway more often than you go downtown, range suffers. If you drive in a sporty manner, the same. If your tires are wide ("my" Polestar 3 wore 22-inch jobs), the same. Moreover, Canadian EV drivers must contend with a factor that labs only touch upon: winter.
The EPA’s testing includes driving the vehicle at an ambient temperature of 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the equivalent of almost -7 degrees Celsius. That's better than nothing - before 2008, that kind of "winter test" was not even included in the EPA's methods.
That said, -7 degrees Celsius is almost tropical for some of our regions. Inflicting -20 Celsius on an EV's battery is certainly not the best way to pamper its range. Heating the cabin, the steering wheel, and the seat while blasting the audio system are all also range killers.
The EPA's estimates nevertheless have the merit of being more realistic than the European WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure) and the Chinese CLTC (China Light Duty Vehicle Test Cycle) tests.
In the automotive world, it’s generally agreed that WLTP results are on average 20-percent too optimistic compared to those of the EPA, while those of the CLTC exaggerate them by 35 percent!
Note that if you want good old Made-in-Canada range info, there is Natural Resources Canada. Indeed, every year, the federal agency publishes its EnerGuide, a detailed bulletin of the energy efficiency (or inefficiency) of vehicles sold here.
That doesn't mean that Natural Resources conducts its tests in slush and ice. If the Americans don't have the means to test all vehicles, imagine the Canadians! Our technicians organize in-house tests, but the majority of EnerGuide figures also come from manufacturers and the EPA.
To find out more about the Polestar 3, I consulted the 2025 Fuel Consumption Guide online (vehicles.gc.ca). For the Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor Performance Pack, it indicates a range of 449 km. Exactly the same rating as that provided by Polestar Canada via the EPA.
“Real-world” testing
Forgive the interminable digression on consumption tests. Those tests are fine, but the best way to obtain realistic ratings driving habits, our geography, and our weather that reflect to obtain ratings that will reflect our driving habits, our geography and our weather remains getting behind the wheel and driving.
As it happens, at the end of October, less than 24 hours after being handed the fob to the 3, I had to go to Wendake, in the suburbs of Quebec City. Google, Polestar's official partner, announced that I would have some 330 km to travel.
No better way to ascertain the true Canadian range of this Swedish vehicle financed by Chinese capital and assembled in the U.S.
The displayed truth
The large 14.5-inch screen levitating in the middle of the long dashboard told me it would take 3 hours and 19 minutes to cover the 321 km. The screen added that I’d have 9-percent charge left at destination.
However, before setting off, some errands. Result: at the moment of the real departure, I had not a range of 440 km but 360 km (90 percent charge). Given that I had 321 km to travel, most of it on highway... I deduced I would most likely have to recharge before reaching destination.
The 3 agreed. Its screen suggested a stop at one of the Electric Circuit fast chargers located in front of the Le Normandin hotel, on Pierre-Bertrand boulevard.
In this regard, the car proved to be an excellent road guide. In the past, at the wheel of various EVs, finding an appropriate charging station was sometimes an “interesting” experience. (There was that time, near Kingston on the 401, that the vehicle was intent on routing me to the U.S.!) On this day, the majestic screen of the Polestar 3 helped me out perfectly. Its instructions were detailed and crystal clear, and I arrived at the charger with the predicted 5-percent charge left.
Note, I could have been even bolder because barely 10 km separate the charger from my final destination, the Hotel Musée-Nations in Wendake. Since 5 percent of range meant 22 km, I could have skipped the stop.
But of course, range anxiety. The scourge of EV drivers. When the needle of a fuel gauge approaches red, we don't panic (unless we're really in the middle of nowhere). But in an EV, it can spoil the ride. Worry replaces serenity. Those who have experienced this unpleasant sensation know why I chose to play it safe.
In any event, on this October day I settled for a recharge that lasted 19 minutes and 38 seconds, consuming 38.01 kWh, which cost me $19.36 (including the two taxes). I left with 160 km (39 percent) of range, which is quite sufficient. Once at the hotel, I plugged in the luxury EV for the night.
I took advantage of the 19-minute-38-second break to note in my notebook that the 517 hp and 671 lb-ft of torque of the Polestar 3 equipped with the Performance package had subjected the 111-kWh battery to real-time energy consumption often exceeding 34 kWh, and made for an average of 27 kWh. That's relatively high but hardly surprising given the 3,050 kg of the SUV.
Next week: the return, driving, and the 3’s interior.
