Photo: Polestar
As soon as electric cars turned into norm it became immediately clear that the new age of the automobile will not only mean a shift from fossil fuels to electricity, but also a transformation of cars from simple vehicles to gadgets on wheels.
Although, granted, this transformation started in ICE cars, its full effects can be felt in EVs. And there's no better example of that than the Polestar 2.
The fastback was introduced back in 2019 with more than decent capabilities, but it'll probably be remembered by the industry's history books as the "first car to feature Google's Android Automotive OS."
It was quite the revolution, but as it often happens with new tech, a very poor experience given the unavailability of dedicated apps for in-car use. That changed in the time that has passed since 2019, of course, and the offering is quite alluring at this point.
The Polestar 2, for instance, already offers dedicated Android Automotive OS apps like Waze, EasyPark, A Better Routeplanner, and AccuWeather. For the car's own benefit, we've got stuff like Range Assistant, Journey Log and the Performance app for dual-motor cars.
The Polestar 2 is an EV and that means it needs to spend some time plugged in to get its strength back. There are apps meant to help drivers and passengers ignore the time spent waiting as well. YouTube, for instance, was added by Polestar to its in-car offering back in June 2023. Separately, for allowing access to entertainment services that don't have a dedicated app yet, Polestar has been using a browser called Vivaldi.
"The Google Play Store has also gained a rich variety of apps that offer interactivity and entertainment, from playing games to streaming series," said in a statement Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.
And now comes a true streaming service directly to the car. The company announced this week that the Polestar 2 can now run the Prime Video service while parked or charging. The announcement opens up a world of possibilities to pass time more easily, and also comes with the promise of Prime Video expansion to future models the company has planned.
At the time of writing a Polestar 2 can be had for prices that start at a little over $50,000. There are six color choices available for it, and it can be had in either all-wheel to rear-wheel drive configuration. At its best, it cranks out up to 467 hp from electric motors, and can accelerate to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds.
It takes as little as 28 minutes to recharge a Polestar (more than enough time for an episode from your favorite sitcom), and once that is done the car can travel for as much as 407 miles (655 km) until it needs to be plugged in again.
The fastback was introduced back in 2019 with more than decent capabilities, but it'll probably be remembered by the industry's history books as the "first car to feature Google's Android Automotive OS."
It was quite the revolution, but as it often happens with new tech, a very poor experience given the unavailability of dedicated apps for in-car use. That changed in the time that has passed since 2019, of course, and the offering is quite alluring at this point.
The Polestar 2, for instance, already offers dedicated Android Automotive OS apps like Waze, EasyPark, A Better Routeplanner, and AccuWeather. For the car's own benefit, we've got stuff like Range Assistant, Journey Log and the Performance app for dual-motor cars.
The Polestar 2 is an EV and that means it needs to spend some time plugged in to get its strength back. There are apps meant to help drivers and passengers ignore the time spent waiting as well. YouTube, for instance, was added by Polestar to its in-car offering back in June 2023. Separately, for allowing access to entertainment services that don't have a dedicated app yet, Polestar has been using a browser called Vivaldi.
"The Google Play Store has also gained a rich variety of apps that offer interactivity and entertainment, from playing games to streaming series," said in a statement Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.
And now comes a true streaming service directly to the car. The company announced this week that the Polestar 2 can now run the Prime Video service while parked or charging. The announcement opens up a world of possibilities to pass time more easily, and also comes with the promise of Prime Video expansion to future models the company has planned.
At the time of writing a Polestar 2 can be had for prices that start at a little over $50,000. There are six color choices available for it, and it can be had in either all-wheel to rear-wheel drive configuration. At its best, it cranks out up to 467 hp from electric motors, and can accelerate to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds.
It takes as little as 28 minutes to recharge a Polestar (more than enough time for an episode from your favorite sitcom), and once that is done the car can travel for as much as 407 miles (655 km) until it needs to be plugged in again.
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