An end to altitude anxiety: Polestar 2 in New Mexico

A lot has been said about how far an EV can go. Discussions about range, and the anxiety it can produce, tend to dominate electric mobility conversations. Less often discussed is how high they can go. After all, EVs don’t have the same oxygen dependency that ICE vehicles (or all of us) do. Enough about the horizontal. Let’s hear about the vertical. Which was exactly the thinking behind the latest Polestar US press drive event, held in the New Mexico mountains.

Back view of a blue Polestar 2 on the road in the Rocky Mountains.

Threading a uniquely beautiful route from Santa Fe, journalists drove the Single motor version of our all-electric fastback from the state capital (and second-oldest city in the US) to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Known previously for playing a key role in the Manhattan Project, Los Alamos currently conducts multidisciplinary research in fields as varied as national security and renewable energy.

Trading one motor for two, they then took the Dual motor Polestar 2 up through the winding roads of the southern Rocky Mountains to an elevation of almost 3060 meters. A better place to test the high-altitude credentials of an EV there isn’t. Sure, it takes more power to pull the five-door fastback up a steep slope than it does to power along a straightaway, but power and torque remain on tap. Regenerative braking ensures things balance up a bit on the way back down.

01/06

Polestar 2 in Santa Fe.

We know how far the different versions of Polestar 2 can go. Now, let’s see how high.

Read the journalists’ thoughts below.

“Polestar 2 has a cool, understated elegance that doesn’t scream for attention, and…had no trouble climbing briskly to more than 7,300 feet, (doing so) while providing a comfortable and near-silent ride.” -Robb Report

“It’s an electric vehicle, but it doesn’t lean into segment tropes. Instead, the Polestar 2 is simply a well-built sedan with premium materials and an engaging drive.” -Road & Track

“Polestar 2 barely seemed to notice the hazards — easily forging through spontaneous road rivers, slush piles, and newly laid rock beds — while charging up the tightly winding hillside.” -Engadget

"On really twisty mountain roads there's almost no understeer or torque steer, even when I really push it and accelerate hard out of a corner. As far as EVs go, the Polestar 2 is easily one of the most fun to drive.” -CNET

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