Polestar raises the price of its single-motor Polestar 2 by $2,500

In late March, Polestar announced that the single-motor Long Range variant of its Polestar 2 EV coupe would be arriving imminently upon US shores and be available starting at $45,900 — $33,400 after federal and state incentives — while its dual-motor sibling would start at $51,200. On Wednesday, the EV automaker announced that those prices would be going up. The single-motor variant will now start at $48,400 — $40,900 after the $7,500 federal tax credit — while the dual-motor AWD version will set buyers back $51,900 ($44,400 after the credit).

The price hike is due in part to the new standard features, updates and upgrades applied to the platform over the past 6 weeks, according to a Polestar spokesperson. For those extra few hundreds to thousands of dollars, PS2 buyers will have access not only to the hundred-plus OTA software updates that have already been released — including the one that boosts the dual-motor's driving range to a respectable 260 miles — but the new high-efficiency heat pump announced in April and a more sensitive air quality sensor as well. That air quality sensor is part of the $4,200 Plus Pack and can show the driver "a breakdown of the air circulating outside of the vehicle, including pollen types," according to the release. Similarly, ordering the Performance Pack (a mere $5,500) will include the recent software upgrade that squeezes an extra 68 HP and 15 lb-ft of torque out of the dual motors.

PS2 shoppers will also have their pick of two new exterior color options — a metallic shade called "Jupiter" and the same metallic black "Space" found on the PS1 — and a light grey "Zinc" option for the interior Nappa leather. Both the 19- and 20-inch rims designs have been updated too.