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Here we are, over 25 years since the first electric car was mass produced, but we’re still driving cars fuelled by petrol and diesel, myself included. Now more than ever, we’re constantly thinking about different ways to become more sustainable by reducing our carbon footprint. If buying an electric car is top of your agenda to do your bit to help save the environment, let me assist you.

Polestar is a new, standalone premium Swedish electric vehicle manufacturer, founded by Volvo Cars in 2017. The Scandinavian way of living has inspired people all over the world, from their energy, wellness, interiors, fashion and now motors. We even have Sweden to thank for Greta Thunberg.

I tried and tested Polestar’s first fully-electric volume model, the Polestar 2. I’d never heard of Polestar, nor seen one with my own eyes up until this point and what a dark horse it was.

When this car turned up, it was quite literally love at first sight. I fell in love with a car. It screams minimalist Scandi design, it’s sleek, bold and futuristic but not flashy. From its 20” forged alloy wheels, to its frameless mirrors and stunning panoramic sunroof, this car is the dream aesthetic for anyone with an eye for simple yet modern design. Millennial minimalism lovers - I’m looking at you.

I had the car for a long weekend, so I decided to whip down to Devon’s English riviera on a girls road trip. Luckily, storm Eunice had a few hours off so we could safely cruise down to the coast from London. I’m no motoring expert, but there were a few features that really stood out to me.

I have never driven a car so quiet, brilliant news for me, maybe not so much for pedestrians. It's virtually silent. The Polestar 2 can sense when the driver is approaching via the key and the ignition starts simply by sitting in the driving seat. Any car that has a fewer buttons to press upon start-up is a winner for me. We’re driving cars, not Boeing 747s.

The car has steering wheel resistance settings, meaning that you can adjust the handling of the steering wheel depending on your requirements. The weather was windy that weekend, so I selected the setting that was most heavy to stop any sudden jerks of the wheel. If I needed to park in a tight space, I could make it much lighter allowing me to have more control.

The foot-operated boot. That is all. The faff when you’re holding ten Sainsbury’s bags (bags for life I hope) and attempting to close the boot without dropping anything, a struggle all drivers endure. Polestar has simply erased this unnecessary complication, pop your foot under the car at the back and the boot closes like magic. Mic-drop.

Polestar 2 is the first car in the world to feature a system powered by Google’s Android Automotive OS, with Google built-in. Drivers can benefit from the best voice and navigation systems in the world using Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play. “Hey Google, turn on the heated seats” was a personal favourite of mine.

I wasn’t aware just how much of a community electric car drivers were. I saw three other Polestar vehicles during our trip to Devon, one even waved at us as they exited the motorway. So wholesome. I also didn’t realise just how much attention this car would get. Nearly everywhere we went people would stop to ask about the car, we’d catch pedestrians doing a double take or nudging their friends and pointing as we silently drove by. The car really speaks for itself, it’s a jaw-dropper in the most impressive of ways.

The Polestar 2 takes around 40 minutes to reach a full charge and in best conditions it can range up to 335 miles. Our trip was around 230 miles and it was estimated at around 4 hours 30 minutes. What’s great about the Polestar 2 is that once you put in your destination, the Google system will tell you what the estimated battery % will be upon arrival. In our case it was 0% meaning we had to charge en route. The only unfortunate thing, and this is the same with all fully-electric cars, if you’re driving long distances, you need to add on about 45 minutes to every journey, providing you can find an available fast-charging station.

The only trouble I had was absolutely nothing to do with Polestar. It was the lack of charging stations compared to electric drivers. Once a charging pod was taken, it wouldn’t be free for another half hour at least, meaning we drove around a service station for about two hours trying to find a free charging spot. The UK has a long way to go when it comes to installing more charging stations across the country. The CMA (The Competition and Markets Authority) said that Britain could require 10 times as many EV charge-points before 2030, reported Reuters. 

Overall, the Polestar 2 is a driving experience like I’ve never had before and I was totally heartbroken to see it drive away after such a dreamy long weekend.

Starting price to purchase is £40,900 and to lease is roughly £470** per month.

For more from GLAMOUR's Senior Visual Editor, Chelsea Hughes, follow her on Instagram @ChelsHughes92

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