The first-generation Polestar 2 is dead for good. Production of the brand’s first electric model has ended in Luqiao, China, a company representative confirmed to InsideEVs after a report from Norway’s TV2 surfaced last month.

After six years in production, Polestar’s first mass-market model sold roughly 200,000 units worldwide and set the stage for what came next. The Polestar 2 competed with the Tesla Model 3, and although it was smaller and more expensive than the American-made electric sedan, it had plenty of fans everywhere. (Healthy lease discounts likely helped.)

The lovable four-door electric sedan went through several facelifts, including one that significantly changed the way it drives. When the car was introduced in 2000, its base trim was front-wheel drive, and dual-motor all-wheel drive was available as an option. But in 2023, the entry-level models became rear-wheel drive, while the top versions continued to offer AWD.

More power and more range were also added along the way, keeping the CMA-based EV up to date in an increasingly crowded market. At its peak, the Polestar 2 had up to 314 miles of EPA-estimated range, which is plenty for daily use, but ultimately the Tesla Model 3’s lower price made the Swedish-designed EV a tougher sell.

In the United States, the Polestar 2 was discontinued last year, a move that seemed to foreshadow the brand’s demise stateside. S. Department of Commerce denied the automaker an authorization under the Connected Vehicle Rule.

Source link