2024 Polestar 2 Hits 300-Mile Range, Adds Rear-Wheel Drive

• Polestar is set to revamp its first mainstream BEV, the five-door liftback Polestar 2, with more range and power, a few new technology features, and an entirely new drivetrain.

• Power upgrades are available across the lineup, with the new RWD single motor variant making 299 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque while the dual-motor produces 421 hp and 546 lb-ft.

• With 300 miles of range available and updated driver-assistance technologies, the Polestar 2 is taking its competition head-on with demonstrated features, as competitors like Tesla drop prices across the board.

When was the last time you heard of a vehicle going from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive in one model year? Years ago, it was the other way around, during the 1980s era of downsizing, but Swedish EV company Polestar has flipped the script for 2024. The battery-electric 5-door fastback Polestar 2 is getting a major update for the new model year, and that includes a shift from FWD to RWD on single-motor variants.

That's just one example of the modular beauty of electric motors, but the updates don't stop there. In fact, the 2024 Polestar 2 has been fitted with a new generation of electric motors and inverters that allow for a power bump across the single- and dual-motor lineup. Single-motor variants will now send 299 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels, up from the previous 231 hp and 243 lb-ft, while dual-motor versions boast 421 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels, a notable increase over the previous 408 hp and 467 lb-ft.

These new electric motors are not only more powerful but actually split the torque in a different way than their predecessors. Polestar says the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive variant now has a rear-drive bias, with the rear motor being the primary drive source and being supplemented by a new asynchronous motor on the front axle. Additionally, the front motor can now be disconnected to provide longer range.