Range Anxiety Just Became Yesterday’s Problem
The Polestar 3 just obliterated the electric SUV distance record, traveling 581.3 miles on a single charge across UK public roads—beating Ford’s Mustang Mach-E by nearly 12 miles. This wasn’t some hypermiling stunt with tape over the gaps and nitrogen in the tires. Professional drivers rotated every three hours over 22 hours and 57 minutes while a Guinness judge watched every mile.
The production-spec Long Range Single Motor hit its official WLTP rating (the European standard for measuring EV range) of 438 miles with 20% battery left, then kept going for another 143 miles. When the display hit zero percent, the Polestar squeezed out another 8 miles before calling it quits.
The Numbers Don’t Lie About Efficiency
Swedish engineering delivers 5.13 miles per kilowatt-hour in real-world conditions.
That efficiency figure—5.13 miles per kWh—edges past even the Lucid Air Pure at 5.0 miles per kWh. The single rear motor pumps out 295 horsepower while the ~111 kWh battery pack sips electrons like a Prius sips gas. The route mixed urban crawling, rural roads, and dual carriageways to simulate actual long-distance driving.
No modifications, standard 20-inch wheels, regular Michelin tires. That’s the kind of engineering margin that makes 500-mile road trips feel routine instead of stressful. Plus, DC fast-charging capability means you’re back on the road quickly when you do need to stop.
Premium Price for Premium Performance
Luxury electric motoring starts at $85k but delivers unprecedented real-world capability.
The $85k price tag puts this squarely in luxury territory, competing with loaded BMW X5s and Mercedes GLE-class crossovers. You’re paying for Scandinavian design, premium materials, and now proven ultra-long-range capability that makes Tesla Model X owners take notice.
While Chevrolet’s Silverado EV holds the overall distance crown at 1,059 miles, that’s a truck. For families wanting luxury SUV space with legitimate 500-mile road trip capability, the Polestar 3 just rewrote the rules. What used to be rational concern about EV range is starting to feel like landline nostalgia.
