One of the best Tesla alternatives just became an even bigger thorn in Elon Musk's side

One of the best Tesla alternatives just became an even bigger thorn in Elon Musk's side

Polestar revamped the Polestar 2 electric car for the 2024 model year.Polestar

• Electric vehicle company Polestar just revamped its Polestar 2 for 2024.
• The sporty luxury sedan is now an even more attractive alternative to Tesla's popular Model 3.

One of the best Tesla alternatives on the market just got even more appealing.

Polestar on Tuesday unveiled the 2024 Polestar 2 sedan. With longer range, enhanced performance, and updated looks, the sporty electric sedan has become an even fiercer competitor to Tesla's popular Model 3.

The refreshed Polestar 2 gets an upgraded battery pack that boosts range to an estimated 300 miles for the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive version. That's up from 270 miles in the previous model. The sedan still comes in a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variant as well, which is now rated for 270 miles of range (up from 260.) The new pack can also charge faster than before, at a rate of 205 kilowatts.

The base, $44,000 Model 3 is rated for 272 miles of range, while the longest-range version gets 338 miles on a full charge.

New, more powerful motors mean the single-motor Polestar 2 now makes 299 horsepower (up from 231) and hits 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. The all-wheel-drive version now cranks out 421 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque, allowing a 0-60-mph dash of 4.3 seconds, Polestar says. It also biases power to the rear wheels which "increases driving pleasure," according to the company, which is owned by Volvo and the Chinese auto group Geely.

"Changing from front- to rear-wheel drive in the single-motor variants, and re-calibrating the torque ratio in the dual-motor variant for an increased rear-wheel drive feel, elevates the Polestar 2 driving experience to a whole new level," Joakim Rydholm, Polestar's head of chassis development, said in a press release.

And the Polestar 2 now comes standard with much more driver-aiding tech, including blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree camera, which were all optional before. If Polestar wants to snag buyers from Tesla's tech-filled and Autopilot-enabled cars, it's a logical choice.

Tesla is facing an onslaught of competition from the likes of Polestar, Ford, and Hyundai as established automakers get serious about electric vehicles and unleash increasingly appealing offerings. It recently slashed its prices to boost sales as its relative market share begins to shrink.

Polestar hasn't released pricing yet, but expect the new Polestar 2 to start slightly above its current price of $48,400. One big advantage for the Tesla Model 3: It qualifies for the federal EV tax credit of $7,500. The Polestar 2 isn't made in North America (it's assembled in China) so it isn't eligible.

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