Polestar is Offering Two Years of Free DC-Fast Charging From Electrify America to Polestar 2 Drivers

author: Eric Walz   

The Polestar 2 is a rival to Tesla's Model 3 sedan.

Polestar, the electric-performance brand operated by Volvo Cars and its parent company Geely, is teaming up with EV charging operator Electrify America to offer Polestar 2 drivers two years of free DC fast charging sessions. 

The free charging offer is being provided to all Polestar 2 owners, even those that have already purchased their vehicles or are still waiting to take delivery.

Each free charging session will be good for 30 minutes, which is enough to provide a Polestar 2 with an optimal amount of charge when stopping on a long journey, according to Polestar. 

Drivers will be able to access the free charging offer through Electrify America's smartphone app using a unique enrollment code, from late October. 

Existing Polestar 2 owners will receive a communication from the company containing their enrollment codes or can visit their local Polestar Space retail showroom to get one. New customers will begin their two-year free charging period upon delivery.

"We are thrilled to announce this offer for current and future Polestar 2 owners, streamlining the EV ownership experience for our customers," said Gregor Hembrough, Head of Polestar North America. "Polestar is working continuously to provide customers with substantial new benefits throughout their ownership journey. This offer takes the stress and costs out of charging your Polestar 2."

The free charging offer will help to address range anxiety and charging concerns, which is considered to be one of the main hurdles to widespread EV adoption.

"At Electrify America, we are constantly challenging ourselves to propel the EV industry forward," said Giovanni Palazzo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Electrify America. "With expanding EV offerings, it is more important than ever to instill a sense of confidence in new and prospective drivers, and we are excited to work with a like-minded company like Polestar to provide high-quality, accessible charging."

In addition to the free charging from Electrify America, Polestar 2 drivers continually receive OTA software updates to keep their vehicles up to date. Polestar has already pushed out updates that increase in efficiency and driving range for the Polestar 2. 

Among the new features pushed to Polestar 2 vehicles is "optimized battery preheating" that automatically activates whenever a driver is using navigation to drive to a nearby charger. The feature gently warms the battery to enable faster charging speeds by the time a driver arrives at the charging station.

Electric America, which is based in Reston Virginia, was born out of the Volkswagen "dieselgate" scandal in which the automaker admitted to tampering with emission control devices to mask higher than permitted greenhouse gasses from its diesel-powered models. 

As part of its retribution for its admission of guilt, Volkswagen founded Electrify America in 2017 as a catalyst to promote the adoption of zero-emissions, electric vehicles in the U.S.

Over a ten year period ending in 2027, Electrify America is investing $2 billion in zero emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure and education programs in the U.S.  

Electrify America is focused on building a "future proof" network consisting almost exclusively of newer ultra-fast chargers, which are poised to become the industry standard as more EVs come with rapid charging capability.

Polestar was founded in 2017 by Volvo Cars and its partner company Geely as a new electric-performance brand to compete with companies like Tesla, as well as new Chinese EV startups XPeng and NIO Inc. The Polestar 2 fastback is the company's first mass-market EV.

Polestar is challenging Tesla with its performance-oriented electric cars that are more affordable than the flagship Tesla Model S, yet priced competitively with the mass-market Model 3. The Polestar 2 starts at $45,900. It's also the world's first vehicle to come with Google's new Android Automotive OS built in.

In June, Polestar announced its third vehicle will be an electric-performance SUV named the Polestar 3 that will compete with the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mach-E and other electric SUVs. 

The forthcoming Polestar 3 will be manufactured by Volvo Cars at its factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina. 

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.