# Polestar 2

7 Hacker News commenters recommended Polestar 2 and 5 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Owners praise its handling and winter driving, and say regenerative braking and fuel savings are strong; critics say efficiency is weak and the heat pump needs the Plus package.

## What people warn about

- Weak efficiency, especially in winter (4 comments): "one of the least efficient, has no heat pump in my year, and only has a ~225km effective range in winter" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46937634)) "you can't get other imperative things -- like the heat pump (major efficiency concern) -- unless you get the Plus package" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48331301)) "Polestar 2s are not particularly efficient, though lovely to drive" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48672337))
- Heat pump only with Plus package (2 comments): "one of the least efficient, has no heat pump in my year, and only has a ~225km effective range in winter" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46937634)) "you can't get other imperative things -- like the heat pump (major efficiency concern) -- unless you get the Plus package" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48331301))
- Cameras get dirty and unreliable (3 comments): "The various cameras on my polestar2 are routinely getting caked in salt and dirt in the winter" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48330185)) "Unreliable backup camera (even after several software "fixes")" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46438151)) "routinely getting caked in salt and dirt in the winter" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48330456))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Tesla vehicles](https://hackerapproved.com/p/tesla-vehicles.md): 209 recommend
- [BYD electric cars](https://hackerapproved.com/p/byd.md): 157 recommend
- [Ferrari Luce](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ferrari-luce.md): 140 recommend
- [Tesla Model 3](https://hackerapproved.com/p/tesla-model-3.md): 128 recommend
- [Rivian electric vehicle](https://hackerapproved.com/p/rivian.md): 73 recommend

## Where to get it

- [Visit the official site](https://www.polestar.com/us/)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Polestar 2", https://hackerapproved.com/p/polestar-2/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).