Dude had a problem with his car which I admit would be alarming and he wrote a few emails. I think that is the best customer service that I've ever heard .
I'm not a huge fan of electric cars/trucks, but I'll give the company credit for that, and the only other companies I've personally dealt with that have had that good of customer service have been non car companies in Motorola, and JLab, in the fact Motorola knew they had a bad batch of launch Moto G2 phones, I had issues with mine charging, and bootlooping, called them up on the phone, got a nice friendly person, and had a new phone in hand insight of 3 days via Fedex cross shipping, Far as JLab anytime I've gotten a bad product from them I fill out the form on their website, send back the product(3 different times, with one my fault for dropping a pair of headphones on down a set of brick stairs), and they always give me more back in credit than I paid for the product, and one time even got a nice email directly from the CEO asking how they can improve their products to make them better. SO yeah good customer service no matter the product even if it's a $10 Bluetooth headset can go a long way in keeping customers for the long haul.
Not really. He first went to the Volvo dealership who told him that it was normal for his car to steer him into potentially oncoming traffic. That's horrible customer service! Then he had to find out who the executives at Volvo/Polestar were to email them. But realistically, how many people would even think to do that? It's good that he got a response right away from the president, but it should have never gone that far.
I wish I had bought one of these instead of a Model 3! My range is like 370miles, but I wish I had a company that actually cared about my business long term and wants to improve their products instead of resting on their laurels.
@@seannewman8542Volvo dealers don’t sell Polestar vehicles, so the CSA’s aren’t trained to handle/advise those clients. Thats what Polestar’s ‘Spaces’ are for, which are completely separate locations. However some Volvo dealers act as service centers for Polestar. It’s a bit of an odd relationship.
The next EV evolution (heh) will be manufacturers finding out -- the hard way -- that "everything on one big tablet screen" is not a safe interface in a bloody car, and going back to physical controls.
That, and not everyone is willing, or can afford to cough up for a whole new ride when the battery finally gives out, and they will have to lower the cost of a replacement battery pack.
Most of the big complaints about new EVs are stuff like this, nothing to do with the car being electric. I get the sense ICE vehicles are trending in these wrong directions too, though maybe to a lesser degree as they tend to be more "traditional" in design while EVs - still being seen as either a novelty or "the future," tend to embrace these trends - good or bad - more quickly.
I never feel like Nick is merely Brian's sidekick. They both add equal value to the show with their own flavors and it's amazing! Keep of the great work guys.
I'm more concerned about the IT-ization of cars than I am about the electrification. Like, at the very minimum, my car should still "turn over" and _go_, even if it's in a limp-home sort of mode because all the sensors have failed and it can't do automatic lane keeping or adaptive cruise control at the moment. Like, as long as the drivetrain is certain it isn't going to grenade itself, all of the rest of the advanced features they drape off of cars these days can sit in the back seat while I go take my mom grocery shopping or whatever.
This is most of the complaints I see about electric cars (and have about my mom's Tesla). Which has nothing to do with it being electric, an EV could exist without that. But many ICE cars are like that too, so it's not just an EV trend. EVs are probably worse just because, still being novelties to some degree and "the future," manufacturers tend to stuff more of this stuff into them than they do their "legacy" ICE models. I think many of the EV complainers are comparing them to 10-15 year old ICE cars, from a time when cars were "just cars," if one compared an EV with a contemporary ICE car they'd see the same issues.
Cars are better the fewer computers they have. EVs are just giant computers on wheels. To be fair, modern ICEs are also full of computers, but at least the engine makes them somewhat mechanical.
IT-ization and SaaS will kill the industry. Compounded by adding more debt onto lease and financed car users. This will destroy the industry financially. BMW 3.0L Straight 6 cars are one of the pioneering perpetrators of this business model right now and Mercedes just launched their subscription service. This needs to stop.
@@Thinginator LOL other way around. The Computer on wheels when it comes to BEVs does not require must alteration to keep it working reliably once it is configured properly at the factory should work great for the entire 15 years. Problem with ICE is the consumable parts change and the health of the engine e.g. timing constantly changes and the Electronics to manage it has to adapts. The computers on BEVs will survive much better than all the Compute Units on modern ICE cars. Not adapting to changing moving parts being the massive benefit.
The Polestar 2 is the electric vehicle I've most had my eye on. My neighbor got one and there are at least a couple more in the neighborhood, now. I love how aggressively _normal_ it is. It's "a car", which happens to be electric, and not a statement piece. The issue with the connectivity module seems less like an "electric car" issue, and more like a "computerized car" issue, which all vehicles are, or are becoming at this point - electric, internal combustion, or otherwise.
@@rturner4205 the suspension is much better than Teslas, so if I see a Polestar I assume they actually like to drive on dynamic roads! Teslas seem built for the motorway.
Thank you for listening! Or watching. Whichever. It's appreciated either way, since I don't always particularly love listening to my voice myself, so it's never less than heartwarming to have people actually glad to hear it.
@@LimitedTimeRoman Just Wondering If You Guys Take Creative Control When You Write The Scripts For These Videos Based On Who Is Voicing It Or If It's Just Intonation That Makes The Videos Feel So Different I Do Quite Enjoy The Variety In The Reviews Themselves When You Show Up Because It Feels Like The Vibe And Viewpoint Is Quite Different Especially When You Reviewed Your Mom's Escape
@@LimitedTimeRoman I'll admit, normally I would tune away from a "Roman video". I think that you are doing great my guy. Your voice is fine, great enunciation and unique.
Love this script Nick; summarizes so many of my feelings about not just the “ICE v EV” wars but also the modern state of humanity. So in short, a perfect RCR video. Bravo ❤
Thank you so much! That means a lot, and I'm really happy you enjoyed it. I'd love to do more of these, and not just when Brian's on vacation (although dude absolutely deserves more of those).
I own a 2022 P2 and this was an extremely fair and solid take on an in between car. It’s based on an ICE car frame from the Volvo XC40 mini SUV, which has been HEAVILY reinforced to hold the battery, hence the extremely wide and solid stance. I regularly get better range than estimated, and the AWD grip and handling is remarkable, coming from a former WRX and Audi A7 driver. Definitely the rare electric that sits right between “enthusiast” and “appliance”.
That intro made me think I had fallen into one of the all too common "Mustang/Camaro/Hellcat vs. Tesla" threads on any forum dedicated to that first bunch of cars. Spot on.
As a mustang and Tesla owner, OMG, yes. I think my favorite complaint was when someone asked about what happens if the battery dies in a Tesla or it shorts. …good thing ICE vehicles never have a dead battery or electrical shorts. 😂 Range is my second favorite one. My 8yo Tesla has better range than my mustang!
That's a really fair take on the nEVer-EV crowd talking points and possibly their origination. If I found myself in the market for a new car, I'd be foolish not to consider an EV option because the truth is they work really well for 98% of what I do with a daily driver. And yet we have an entire contingent of "car people" decrying electric in one breath and extolling rotary in the next. Truly bizarre times we are in.
@@Jamesaepp diesel sucks as a commuter, only good for long haul. It takes so long for diesels to warm up in the winter the heater basically doesn't exist until you've driven 20min down the highway :/
@@super-kami-guru This is why I say middle child. Oldest child wants their ICE. Youngest child wants their EV. Middle child wants to take public transit in metro and rent a diesel for roadtrips.
I love how Mr Regular's videos are full of poop and fart jokes, and Roman's always eventually end up being a commentary on the philosophical meaning of life
@@stoff3r holy shit someone said it. I subbed to the channel for the philosophizing and commentary but always skip through the 3-minute long poop and fart jokes lol
That's pretty cool to know that Polestar's president took the time to respond. On a different note, I think everybody should give it time until EVs are something we could all be accustomed to. I mean the same thing happened to ICEVs more than 100 years ago, and as Mr. Roman mentioned, it took a lot of "trial and error" before people accepted it as part of their daily lives.
@@goodvillain2962 The EVs today are a lot better than the ICE were then though. These are fully functional refined vehicles. They're mainly just pricey for downsides.
I love that you’re able to just completely gloss over the fact the lithium is mined by slaves, the strip mines destroy huge areas of the planet forever. Driving one of these cars is the equivalent of wearing a blood diamond and telling everyone about it.
OMG the timing of RCR releasing the Polestar 2 review along with Savagegeese and the E-Tron is perfect. Seriously, glad you guys are talking about the challenges of EVs.
They definitely did a good job on the interior. The exterior is also nice, far better panel alignment than anything made by *THAT* company and overall nice looking body lines.
Glad to hear confirmation on that. I'm anti EV (as they currently stand), yet this always seemed to me like one of if not the only EV which was engineered to actually be a car rather than an iphone.
Beautiful episode. Bought my first Volvo a few months ago and I love it and the community. Polestar is a fascinating sector of Volvo so I’m glad to see the customer service is impeccable.
I got to tool around for an hour in southern Bavaria a while back in a Polestar. I enjoyed it. Not the same thing as owning one, I get it. But I was impressed.
Hat's off to Nick's voiceover skills; that rant at the beginning had me seriously convinced he was airing his own grievances until he broke character at the end lol
Honestly it's hard to be excited about cars like this. It does what it's expected to do, and looks good. Which is everything you need in a good vehicle. But that's exactly what makes it a little meh. The brand and its backstory is cool, though. And I respect the CEO Thomas Ingenlath for his service mindedness.
True but like Roman said, I think that's kind of the point. Just about every EV hitting the market is trying to really make a statement. This one doesn't.
One thing I love about having one is that it really does stay out of the way when you're just trying to get from A to B, but it's also... a LOT of fun to make bad choices with. I've taken mine out to the track and rallycrossed it and I think I'm turning into a car person. (In case I can't link in youtube comments, my channel is just my fuckin' around with the car videos
It's a car that needs to exist even if it doesn't excite the enthusiast RCR-watcher. It's a great candidate for someone like my mom, who's looking for an ev replacement for her almost-20-year old C-class Mercedes. Comfortable, quiet, understated styling, just works. These are the things a retired teacher wants in a sedan.
Nice job, Roman 🙂 I’m an old-school ICE car guy to the plaid-clad core but I have much admiration for the Polestar 2. Not big, not ostentatious, free from warped and repulsive “it’s the fyooture maaan” shapes and planes (I’m looking at you, Honda and Toyota). Clean. Elegant. Understated. Unfussy. Useful. Daily-able, almost. Finally I have hope (alongside the rapid rise of hydrogen power, Fates willing) that the future of personal transport may not be so damned disappointing after all.
my old Peugeot 308 (first series/2007) has a hook for bags on the passenger side... I'd say it was very popular with the ladies 😏... In general that car was extremely practical, it even had a place for 2LT bottles in the glovebox and A/C also blew on it
I have a 2009 308 and a 2014 Skoda Citigo, and both have those little hooks. I thought they were dumb/unnecesary at first, but I use them way more often than I thought, and I think they're great! Every car should have them
I had one of these a rental car in June. It was very fast and easy to drive, but the cabin wasn't tall enough for me (6 foot 5) to avoid banging my head. I felt some of the plastic in the car was a little cheap too. But we had the car for 5 days and we only spent like 20 bucks charging it. It was really impressive and something I would definitenly look at as a car if I could afford it.
It's a Mercedes F1 Hamilton teamcap, I also did a double take, wondering when Gran Turismo and FTX ever overlapped. F1 and less than stellar sponsors are nothing new, sadly.
Love cars - lifetime enthusiast of nearly every genre of cars. Drive an STi hatch now - it’s just great being one with the machine. Have ridden in some Teslas - they seem fine, but I’m as interested in them as much as I like my fridge. I do like my fridge - but I’m not passionate about it. When EVs design a car I can be passionate about driving, I will definitely get one. Love the EV acceleration. Need a car that doesn’t feel like a heavy pig being thrown around a canyon road. My old BRZ felt great but low on power. Great light weight, low cog, great balance. Really special. My NA Miata is slow but endless exciting to drive anywhere except a crowded highway. Not sure an EV can be made light enough for my preference, and capture the driving aspects of a sports car - well, not without getting well in to 6 figure price tags. Excited to see what they come up with, but right now the short list if I ever need to replace my STi is a Golf R, and even that might be too dull. Grew up driving 60s/70s American V8 muscle. That exhaust rumble you don’t just hear, but feel. Blipping the throttle and getting a response from angry beast consuming gasoline and oil at alarming rates. And the smell that went with that. My perfect EV would probably be hated by 99% of other drivers. I want comfort, but not luxury. No massive touchscreens. And the seats should hold me tight for sharp turns, and the suspension should have a setting that can break loose a filling.
omg Roman's Rant! amazing XD i LOVE EVs, and have always been intrigued by them. im a car builder, ive built every car ive ever owned since 1994. 12 of those cars were water-cooled VWs (golfs, jettas, etc). i REALLY want to build a proper EV, using proven parts, with good range, but i dont want modern skin on it. my plan is to eventually get a wrecked e-Golf and swap the running gear and electrics into a MK2 Jetta Coupe. the coupe has a very special place in my heart because one saved my life a few years back. so i REALLY want to build a future-proof jetta coupe that i can plug into the solar that is going on my home, effectively making the car almost free to operate (other than brakes, tires, and LED bulbs, and the occasional set of shocks). ive been in several EVs and they are proper cars, so quiet. my only issue is the noise. i love a grumbly sounding engine. so ill probably end up making people think im bat-shit crazy because im driving my silent EV while making motor noises from stop light to stop light
The issue with the TCAM is happening on the Volvo C40/XC40 Recharge as well. Appropriately for RCR (reference Silicone Sally) is water intrusion. The seal around the antenna sometimes fails and the resulting water intrusion screws with the electrics and causes faults. Hopefully Volvo/Polestar will have it rectified soon. I drove the C40 a few months ago and it’s incredible and I want one.
My 2003 Toyota Echo, manual transmission, manual windows, manual locks, 267,000 miles runs perfectly. It's almost rust free thanks to basic care and Toyota build quality. It's comfortable enough as a commuter car and delivers a consistent 40mpg. When it burns too much oil, I'll throw another engine in it and keep driving as long as the body is in good shape. Nothing against EV cars, but when a manufacturer sells an EV with comparable long term reliability an simplicity, I'll consider it.
2021 Volvo Polestar 2: The official vehicle of a triggered Roman and then forced him into $300/hour therapy, a 6 month long spiritual journey in rural Mongolia to go find himself and them calm down and see the world through new eyes, only to return, see another Polestar on the streets, and then have a major relapse into the deepest, darkest pits of his soul.
Volvo usually makes things with practical touches. My 240 had a parking pass clip, a fantastic dash tray and kept the radio high up towards the sightlines so you didn't get too distracted messing with it.
There are 2 reasons why I switched to an EV. 1. My cou try is tiny so the range is enough to reach anywhere within reason and I can't exactly drive abroad for geopolitical reasons 2. Paying for charging at home is 4 times cheaper compared to paying for gas assuming fuel economy of ~32mpg A bonus 3rd reason is less required maintenance.
Cheap to charge vs gas fill up until the majority of people get a ev and then the cost of electricity is twice as much or more. Plus we will have rolling black outs. Enjoy it now.
@@ieatpinecones98 Not sure about where you live, but over here we have half price electricity overnight, so cars can just charge when grid demand is lower. Problem solved. Also it's not like everyone's going to go out and buy EVs overnight so there will be plenty of time for the utility companies to plan and beef up the grid as demand increases.
tell me you are from Israel without telling me you are from Israel guess why countries around are hostile since you bomb them on daily basis or you stole their land
Hey! I’ve got one of these. Had the TCAM issue as soon as I got home from delivery. Drove to work the next day, and called Polestar, they sent two technicians to my work to fix it so I didn’t have to go anywhere. Haven’t had any issues since, and apparently the latest software revision has finally solved the issue, but hasn’t rolled out to OTA yet. (Apparently will in the next week or so.) Anyhow, really enjoying it so far.
No, it's more "change is coming, but that doesn't mean you have to accept the change in the way that others want you to accept it. You can choose the path of the change for yourself"
I’ll be happier with electric cars when “electric car” stops being this sort of identity thing and it’s really just a car. The kia and the polestar seem to be headed in the right direction. I hope (but doubt) we can get past this idea that your car needs to forever be connected to the mothership to function properly. Give me an option that just has a key and just works. Like every other car I’ve ever had. If there’s a recall or something I can take it to the dealer. I’m not thrilled about electric cars but I can see the benefits. However it seems like it would be a nightmare to own one if you don’t live in a house with a garage or at least some off the street parking.
Yes, yes, yes! I want a good car, I don't need it to scream "look at me! I am an EV!!!!!". Kia, Volvo, Polestar, BMW (i4 specifically) are doing great in this respect. You're simply buying a nice car that happens to be a pretty damn good EV too.
Totally agree - much of the complaints I see about electric cars, and have myself about my mom's Tesla, are nothing to do with the fact that they are electric directly, in fact many modern ICE cars probably have the same issues. It's the way they're designed, as more a "gadget" or "device" (the way one might refer to a phone as such) than a car, with all the focus on fancy features and infotainment at the expense of basic functions as a car. As well as, like you say, how tied they are to the manufacturer, to the point it feels like you don't actually own it. An electric car without all that is entirely possible, I think some of the more "basic" ones are headed in that "just a car" direction, but at the same time all cars are headed in the "gadget" direction.
If it's worst problem is that it's GPS doesn't work I'm kind of OK with that. Also one of these days they really gonna make 1 for the lower tax brackets I'm hoping that someday that they actually make an electric that is a bare bones driving person's Electric car but nobody would buy it because the kids just want to play video games on their pop up screen. I'm already worried about the thing breaking I don't need a bunch of options that on an gas car already break
Cars have been "identity things" for damn near as long as there have been cars. Mouth-breathers still piss their pants over Ford vs. Chevy. Don't even get me started on jort-wearing jackholes and their Corvettes...
@14:00-14:30 really hit the nail on the head. Made me think about my ex, past friendships and overall shitty experiences. Learn from them, be thankful they happened, move forward
But why would someone buy an EV as an enthusiast? Just because it's fast? And I'm not talking about straight line speed only, altho it seems like it's the only thing they can do well, but then again, with little to no emotion. I'm not someone who's afraid of change or doesn't like technology and progress, in fact I have a 2018 Abarth 124 which is basically an ND Miata with different body panels, quite a modern car; why would I willingly give up a car with a good sounding engine and an amazing manual transmission for electric power? Why would I renounce my little 2 seater for something bigger and pointlessly cumbersome and heavy that will never drive as good as somethign that I already have? Why would any enthusiast give up their sporty coupe, big V6 or V8 sedan, compact hot hatch etc. for any modern EV that either comes in form of an SUV or a stupidly big, undefined kinda lifted sedan-that-isn't-a-sedan like this Polestar 2? I don't see the point in switching, I really couldn't care less about what other people think, why would I?
“Emotions are evidence of things having happened to us, bad things, yes. But good things too. The quilted experiences of our lives are woven into a course fabric that soften over time into something resembling a story…” Never change…
I have two gripes with EV's 1) Automakers (all of them) Insist they need to be sporty, and in doing so, make them worse than they need to be. Allow me to elaborate. When one thinks of a "sporty car", images of a low slung, sleek silhouette with large wheels and a high belt line come to mind- all well and good, but to get an EV to work with that shape, headroom evaporates, or the center tunnel becomes more intrusive than Kanye West at a music awards show. The battery has to go somewhere, and the sportier the car, the lower the roofline, and the larger the battery it will need- it's like manufacturers are shooting themselves in the foot, and hoping that by using a larger gun, or aiming better the results will be different next time. A sporty car handles well, and changes direction quickly, we can all agree to that, right? The issue with those two things is they traditionally require a vehicle to be relatively light weight, which is precisely what EV's are not. Even the lightest EV's are ridiculously heavy compared to their ICE counterparts, and because of all that weight (and the aforementioned sporty ride height), you end up with a vehicle with springs so stiff they could launch Micheal Moore into space and "the EV ride". The ride quality of most mainstream EV's can best be described as "slightly less punishing than being trampled by the 82nd Airborne". The combination of Thousands of pounds of battery, hundreds more of battery preconditioning equipment, and enough crash protection to prevent the car from going full Fukushima in a fender-bender means that there is a lot of mass, and given the ride height requirements for the sporty stance automakers mindlessly chase after, the result is shocks that could slow continental drift. When we add it all up, we're left with a vehicle that is overpowered, stiff, cramped and expensive- not exactly sounding like a sure fire way to move thousands of cars, now is it? "The formula worked for Tesla" is what you might be thinking right now, and you're right to an extent, because look at Tesla's competition. They sold the Model S as an EV alternative to the 5/7 series BMW, it got by with its ride because it was supposed to be a sport sedan. Other automakers somehow got this twisted and decided thart all EV's should be sport sedans. The argument that James May made about vehicles being ruined by being "tuned on the Nurburgring" applies here, because even though the Tesla wasn't tuned for the absolute best ring time possible, its competition was, so by comparison, the ride of the Tesla wasn't seen as "that bad", but when compared to vehicles expected to be driven in the real world, the ride is borderline unacceptable. The bumpy parts of the ring do not apply to the potholes of Detroit, and in chasing the sporty image, automakers have effective made the modern EV both too expensive and essentially useless to the consumers who would benefit most from driving one. If legacy automakers were serious about consumers willingly adopting EV's, there would be electric Oldsmobiles (for lack of abetter term) There would be electric cars with reasonable power, decent range, a comfortable ride, and a modest price point- all on the same model- but there isn't. The parts are all there, but the will just isn't. An EV does not have to be super fast. It does not need to ride like it's primary function is to ensure chiropractors stay in business, and it does not have to reinvent the segment. It just has to be competent at the intended function of automobiles in the class in which it competes. Without "boring" electric cars that your grandmother would own, EV's are destined to remain a sideshow in the automotive circus. 2) The door handles.
I have three gripes with modern cars in general: 1: they lock simple functions behind a stupid ipad duct taped to the dashboard 2: wtf even is that styling? US cars either looks like PS1 Lara Croft's chest, or an ostrich egg. BMWs look like someone with a large sniffer just walked into a bakery and smelled something nice. 3: CVTs. They drone worse than an antique with a 2 speed, and some of them are just plain unreliable. Let's leave them in ATVs and snowmobiles and use a regular automatic. For evs it's: 1: the door handles, just give me a normal handle and stop electrifying every little simple component, ffs. 2: they're generally as expensive than a comparable ice car that's optioned out. 3: The vocal minority of "if you don't have an EV you're irrelevant and behind the times" type. AKA teslabros. It's not even really the car's fault, which is sad.
Volvo honestly designs some of the best looking modern cars. They never seem to miss the mark with styling, and I’ve personally liked their styling since the 240 and even older cars.
240, 850, and s60 got kind of ripped on without much basis, my 240 has 500k. I miss the interior from the 850s. If the s60s 300horse was mentioned, it wasnt emphasized like it should have been And yet, volvo comes out with an ev and we get the best rcr since the lecture on post modernism with the pt cruiser. Cars are art, and it's nice to see everything that they mean be touched on sometimes, and to have the change in the thing we love being talked about with such wisdom and benevolence, if not clarity. Anyway, Roman if by chance you see this comment ill make it out to jakes flea market keepin an eye out for ya. I dont own jakes, but I think my buddys landlord does. Anyway, you guys should be really proud of this.
a lot of people have said this in the comments and I agree, it's not so much the electrification of cars that I mind, it's the amount of non serviceable / automagic fully on components like I don't want the car to start steering on it's own, infact I never want my car to do that. Cars today no matter if they are gasoline or electric seems like we are merely giving them suggestions and not actually controlling them. I wish there were more ways to turn off some of these systems and keep them off.
I think people falsely assume that the battery technology will inevitably get much much better over time. I don't think it really will. I think safety is something that can be improved much more than performance at this point.
If you look at the learning on battery tech it's rapidly coming down in price and up in range/performance. I see no reason why that trend will stop as they achieve economies of scale, quite the opposite. Safety's already excellent.
It can get better, and it has. As I was charging up the EV work car we have at my job, a guy with a Nissan Leaf rolled up, mid-2010’s car. Asked him the range, he told me about 100 kilometres in town. Ours, a 2021, gets 300-400. It’s getting there pretty fast
We've been waiting for solid state batteries for a long time. I know these things take time, but at a certain point, put enough potential energy in something and you get a potential bomb.
I prefer older ICE cars for the same reason I prefer my N64 to my PS5. My N64 will never need “over the air” updates to fix something that should’ve been resolved prior to release. It’ll always work even if there’s a “network failure” or is no longer supported. It’ll never be controlled, allowed or disallowed from a distance by an uncontrollable source.
You realize the N64 did release the add on DD drive right? Also, bad games on the N64 were just bad games. There was no glitch correction or fixes for broken stuff. Your ICE still gets recalls....
@@ricardoconqueso I realize that, but I think you’re missing the point of what I’m saying. I’m saying almost 25 years later and I can still play that game on my N64, whereas certain newer games can no longer be played because the servers are no longer supported. People don’t like the fact that an unseen IT bureaucracy can make something work/not work, after 10 years Volvo can decide they no longer want to support the network features of that car and it’ll essentially be a brick, where an older car properly maintained can just keep going
Nick, you nailed the issue with people and EVs. This was amazing man!! I don’t know how you guys do it. I know EV haters and they get so worked up about it. I couldn’t really grasp the internal reasons for their anger but this explains it. I need to watch this again!
Serious point about lithium mining: Lithium is mined by pumping water into underground salt deposits, some of which is lithium carbonate. (most of the rest is table salt and phosphate salt, which gets used for fertilizer.) The salty water is pumped back up and allowed to dry in the sun. It's the least ecologically harmful method of mining imaginable. People who complain about lithium mining being bad for the environment have no idea what they're talking about.
the thing about the polestar president responding to his email and having someone out the next day is very impressive and seems pretty on brand for volvo to me
I love EVs and I do have one myself (a tiny, Chinese made Dacia), do that's the progressive part of me. The other part of me is very glad it has a mechanical handbrake, old-style heater controls (that you can operate without looking), very few driver aids (it beeps at you if you're too close to the car in front), I can have an app, but don't need it, basically it's a tiny compact car with 2000s level of electronic toys, but nothing that can shut the car down completely or steer me into oncoming traffic. And I'm bloody grateful for that. So, while I like EVs, I do not like a datacenter on wheels that needs connectivity in order to do anything. And it's gonna be a while before I can trust all them newfangled high-tech doodas and whatnots. In the meantime I'm just happy to drive a tiny little car that happens to be electric. It's actually liberating to be able to choose a vehicle and not be hindered by ideology, desire to own a penis extension, or desire to impress friends, neighbors, family or total strangers.
Actually, I quite like the Polestar. I like the interior. I like that Volvo is trying to rebrand part of their division. I like that it's not a Tesla. I cannot WAIT for the S90 full electric.
That first bit went on long enough that I was worried The Roman's car finally went Christine on him, and was relieved when he broke character. I'm sure that guy will show up in the comments anyway, just to make sure we all know that EVs are a fad and his car is still best car
"You can make excuses, or you can make a car that could be an actual player in the EV sector. But you can't really do both." I dunno, Tesla seems to be managing it pretty well.
I'm a died in the wool old-school gasoline addict. Cars & bikes, nice & junkers, track-days & tinkerin'. I bought a new '11 STi, planning on mostly tracking it but didn't, was in a bike phase, so I sold it and got a ragged out 90k mile LEAF almost for free thrown in. Thought it would be a good joke for my buddies. Thing is, I loved that little car. Suddenly everything else seemed old fashioned. Several EVs later (and one Zero SR/F) I now drive a Lucid Air GT. Breathtaking. Plush inside and soft enough in Smooove mode to keep my wife happy. In Gooo! mode everything tightens up and gets sharp. Pounding it up a Colorado canyon or charging through Ozark sweepers this car is more of a drivers car than it has any right to be, more than that STi unbelievably. Call me a convert.
There is a small percentage of people whom EVs will never reach. I work with some of them. Personally, I hope EV infrastructure comes around, but if it doesn't, it is of little consequence to me. I love cars conceptually, but they take SO MUCH time and money to own and maintain, and there are so few places to safely enjoy them at their limits that I just use a car as an appliance, and race cars in video games. It is sad, but I don't see that as a failing of anybody or anything like that, just how the world changes, and I've made my peace with that.
It’s actually not that out of reach… lol. I don’t make a lot. 50k a year. Now days it’s not that much and I regularly go to VIR which is 4.5 hours away. And there’s tons of autoXs even closer(I’m not a autoX fan but it’s there). Usually that’s an excuse to not do it
That's fine - at the end of the day, for pretty much everyone, a car is a functional device owned and used out of necessity. The only exception would be a vehicle someone owned as a project car or race car, never intended as a daily. But most enthusiast cars - even my own classic Beetle I find great joy in driving and working on - is primarily a functional device that enthusiasts want to have be more exciting than the minimum necessary to serve said function. A mindset of "If you must have a car, it might as well be a fun one." For most people though, the car is no more than a functional device, and they want whatever will serve that function with the least hassle and expense. And there's nothing wrong with that, in fact a sort of elegance in a way.
@@JamesDavis-mm2mi I'm not saying it's impossible, but I am suggesting that one has to form their life around cars in order for it to be worth the investment, and that's not as easy as it once was. I suppose what I'm saying is that, when I look at the numbers, it doesn't make sense to me to have that much money going into a few days at a track. But, that's just me, I guess. I find much more value spending WAY less money driving a racing sim and being able to do it from home instead of having to pay for a place to store a second car, deal with the maintenance, tires, track fees, travel, AND have a primary car that I can use to get the second car there, on top of the amount of time it takes to tend to all of that. I get similar thrills mountain biking, or riding a motorcycle, both of which are much, much cheaper
@@quillmaurer6563 that's where I'm at. I had a Mk4 VW GTI that I absolutely LOVED but holy crap the amount of time I needed to dedicate to replacing wheel bearings and door control modules, and the first time I did a timing belt on that thing was the last time. Now, after all that, I drive a 2023 Impreza with a manual and it's not nearly as quirky and it doesn't shift like a truck, but it does get me to work every single day. The VW was old and failed me a lot, I even missed a Mother's Day because my ignition lock cylinder failed and I had to hotwire it to get to work for the next few days, but damn do I miss that car. It was gorgeous and made such turbo noises
@@JamesDavis-mm2mi and, in all honesty, this comment reminds me of how much I've changed in my perspective I guess. I didn't quite realize that until this exchange
Realistically, if they want mass adoption of electric cars. The main issue is charging locations, speed, and price. Having charging stations as common as gas stations, only taking 20 minutes to charge and only costing you $0.10/kwh would be the ideal. But more realistically just common enough charging stations that people feel comfortable not having to check to see if the random rest stop 180 miles away has one or not. And the other main issue is appealing to people who don't know a thing about cars, and don't give a crap about cars, since unfortunately, that's most people buying cars nowadays.
I drove from Cincinnati to Naples Florida a couple weeks ago. I made the drive in one day. I spent around $250 in gas. In an EV it would have taken me probably three days. I would have spent well over $250 in hotels and charging station fees. This is why EV will never really take off.
I’m glad we still have choice here in North America. The UK is setting an aggressive deadline that I think they’re going to have a hard time calling a finish line. They do have a transit advantage which might help, but I think we’ll see and extension on certain parts of the plan
Proprietary software, parts and tools are some of the biggest limiting factors. If companies won't allow 3rd party repairs they can all get recycled into something serviceable🤙
I think as time moves forward we are going to see car manufacturers implement some standards for EV:s as well. Polestar isn't the problem when it comes to not letting 3rd parties repair your vehicle, you can thank Tesla for that.
I suspect this is probably just as much a problem with late model ICEs. Most of the legitimate complaints about EVs are this and the reliance on touch screen controls, both of which I suspect are more new-car issues than EV issues (EVs are just all new cars because they haven't been around for very long, when we think ICE car we might visualize something 10+ years old). And both could be remedied if manufacturers cared to - though that I'm doubtful of.
@@quillmaurer6563 I couldn't agree more, I personally drive a late model (2008) Toyota. It has nearly the same fuel economy as new vehicles without the screens that are slow or burn out, cameras that get covered and become useless and or the excessive safety tech that almost promotes poor driving habits.
@@coryernewein In this context, I wouldn't think of your 14 year old car as "late model." This is what I was saying, EVs feel overly gadget stuffed by comparison because we're comparing brand new EVs (which all EVs are because they've not been around as long, at least not on a large scale) with 10+ year old ICE vehicles. ICE vehicles have had little advancement that is actually useful to owners/drivers in the past 15+ years, which I think might be part of why brand new cars (ICE or electric) are so gadget-stuffed, as well as some of the over-the-top styling such as the whale-shark grille trend. With no compelling practical reasons for someone to buy a new car over their 15-year-old one, automakers are desperate to make new cars feel different - even if not necessarily better - from older ones, to try to convince people that their old cars are outdated. But I suspect many people are (literally) not buying it.
@@quillmaurer6563 the philosophy of a "NEW" vehicle model every year is a huge part of consumer culture that has unfortunately been bred into alot of us. Car companies plan and hope for vehicle leases and not outright purchases😪 You are onto something with the gadgety state of vehicles, I feel EVs themselves are a gadget. Why not stick a 10spd trans behind an engine from 2008 and see the results as opposed to over-engineering with battery packs and turbos that will inevitably be the weak link and or cause issues that should never arise. I would have stuck with my old 2004 Sienna but Ontario is not a nice place for salt lol If I have my way I will keep this vehicle until parts are unobtainable🤙
As one who wants a quiet drive to work i love the theory of electric cars. But i also cannot stand heavy cars which is why i drive a Scion xB >2400lbs .
i think the exact issues you explained with this thing is exactly what turns off people from electric cars. the ev1 and by extension the first gen rav4 ev should have been the blueprint for the future of electric cars. post tesla these things completely lost the plot. over complications of things that literally have been industry standard for decades, stuff as simple as door handles, hell even climate controls that get stuck behind unresponsive menus. bring back actual simplicity and not make it a convoluted mess confined to a screen & hampered by poor connection to a server.
I don’t have a problem with electric cars existing. I have a problem with somebody trying to force me to drive one someday. I don’t care how fast or efficient they are. I like analog driving experience
Look, I’m not against EV’s. I just prefer my gas powered cars and manual transmissions. Someone asked me when I’d finally be willing to buy an EV, and my answer was and still is: When driving a gas powered car is no longer practical for daily driving and is actively difficult to do, then I’ll probably buy an EV. And I don’t see they happening for at least 20-25 years.
I'm not a fan of EVs because they they take out the majority of the mechanics that makes cars enjoyable plain and simple And we don't have the infrastructure that may be a bit but we definitely don't have one that could support it, maybe in a decade or two but not right now. I'll buy an EV when the batteries weigh half of their current weight and they can at the very least reach the reliability and aesthetics of early 90's Honda
Rich's Rivian road trip video was pretty interesting. Where is the "direct replacement for a Corolla or Impreza but EV"? I want that level power, range, and price. Could this have half the power, a cheaper interior and cost 15k less?
The MG4 looks promising but I doubt it'll make it Stateside (there's a few Chinese EVs that'd meet the criteria). VW ID.3 may also be a bit small for US tastes. Maybe the next generation Kona electric? With many EVs having their batteries under the passenger cab it's not a surprise that most use a crossover body style. Price of course is a challenge but I suspect we'll see the Chinese brands reach parity first.
@@deanstyles2567 Crossover body style is likely a given. FWD would be acceptable for many. My only real issue with EVs is the normalization of the $60,000+ "family car" when my family of four always did fine with a traditional sedan. I think a ton of us would be fine with the EV equivalent of say a Kia Soul. Price included though, it cant cost 40% more than its ICE counterpart.
Batteries. They’re too expensive in current state; the closest we’ve come to an affordable EV for the masses in the US is the Chevy Bolt. Even with that, I think we all saw how Chevy and LG flew a little too close to the sun with that battery pack which originally caught on fire. The market is such right now that if you have $50k or more to spend you have several great options and if you have less your choices are very slim.
personally, the big problem i find with EV's is the infrastructure. they feel classist in a way bc if you don't own a home, you most likely can't charge an EV where you live. If there existed charging stations that were similarly convenient to gas stations then it would be something I could consider, but until that happens its not feasible to me and i imagine many others as well.
The actual cars I don't mind, it's the concept that they are better for the environment than a car from 50 years ago. We just don't know how long these cars will last. A ford Model T will still run if you fix it up properly cause everything is mechanical. The most environmentally friendly vehicle is a car that has outlived its expected life of service. My car is 18 years old and still runs.
My 2002 Ford Ranger runs great, but it needs a new air intake. Without one, it will die. Well guess what? Ford stopped making them and so did all the other aftermarket suppliers. It's a plastic part that, in accordance with planned obsolescence, will force me to buy a newer vehicle.
From a standpoint of emissions during production that is true. But on the road it depends entirely on the use case. Are you buying a brand new EV to drive 1000 miles a year? In that case, it would have less carbon impact to drive your existing ICE vehicle, it might even be better in comparison to buy a new ICE or hybrid to a certain point. But if you’re driving anywhere closer to average, the point at which the EV “pays for itself” environmentally speaking is not very long out. UA-cam channel Engineering Explained did a good video on this topic years ago that I still like to point to when this topic comes up
@@Stripestore This is under the assumption that EV's will have as long or longer of a lifespan as gas cars. I personally don't believe the CO2 Crisis. But lets say I did. How many expected owners does a Tesla have? Could it withstand 20 Canadian Winters? Along with that, if you properly store a gas car. With some minor maintenance and fluid changes, that car will still be as good as the day it was in storage. The lithium batteries are always degrading. Its all about points of failure. I'm also not the biggest fan of having my car computerized. In the future, maybe this works.
@@quentins8165 you obviously didn’t watch the video I linked or otherwise have any data points to reference when it comes to efficiency comparison. But basically an ICE only gets ‘dirtier’ the more miles it’s driven, while the EV gets cleaner compared to ICE. I’d guess this generation of tech is at least another 10 years or so away from skeptics like yourself having any sort of confidence in the longevity. I live in upstate NY, and have owned a 9 year old Nissan Leaf, and a 4 year old Chevy Bolt. The Bolt with its actively cooled battery did not have any noticeable degradation to speak of yet, and the Leaf; one of the earliest air cooled batteries known for having the worst degradation; still had 80% capacity when I sold it. Neither had needed any maintenance in my combined 4 years of ownership besides tires on the Leaf and a 12v battery due to age. These newer EV batteries are designed to last 200k miles or more before significant degradation is shown, and even then, the range is still useful to someone on the used market if it’s no longer enough for the original owner. Also you do realize the average age of vehicles on the road in the US is only 12.2 years?
Just wanted to add that I do also own ICE vehicles including a 20 year old Saab convertible I keep on the road for nice summer days. I don’t live in the EV bubble, but I’ve experienced firsthand over the last 5 years that the advantages are too many to ignore for a daily driver, and most of the FUD I see in the comments is unfounded.
Whenever I see anti-EV comments (especially about performance cars), it's always the same old "ICE til I die" shit... and Roman, you took the absolute piss out of 'em in the greatest way possible! Thank you
@@b22chris base Hyundai didnt even cost as nearly as EVs, that's why, the cheapest EV is quite more expensive and a sizeable touchscreen is given for granted at this price point
@@b22chris nope because most of the pubblic prefer paying 50k for a fully loaded vehicle than 40k for a bare bone version and profit on optionals Is much higher than on barebone vehicle itself
To me, what gives P* the edge over ALL other EVs is plain build quality. Seen them in person at my local Volvo dealer and it at least felt and appears REALLY well manufactured. So basically, a high tech Volvo. I own 3 Volvos tho so I am biased.
Here's what an electric car means to me: a regular car that happens to have an electric drivetrain. I don't need to unlock it with my phone, I don't need a 17" TV velcroed to the dash, I don't need (or want) self-driving, I don't need it to park itself. This is why I'm going to convert an older car instead of buying a new one. I'm thinking a classy-as-fuck 1956 Cadillac sedan with the motors and batteries out of a Rivian R1-T.
Wasn't prepared for this deep video asking us to be introspective. I live in Washington state which feels like a central hub for Tesla since 50% of the road is just that. My reluctance to EV's are just seeing a sea of these boring looking Tesla variations literally everywhere sapping the diversity of the road. Everyone here worships these things. Someone gets a new Tesla in the office, people flock and praise how wonderful and beautiful it is. I've been in one and it's a wonderful ride but I just can't wait till more companies make these things so we can get some kind of diversity back.
Not really against EVs, they’re just so bland, sterile, with no right to repair, it’s hard to get excited about. Also the EV fans and their snobbish attitude is a turn off.
With me its just the artificial complexity, the price, the fact that every EV has to be a luxery car. Give me an EV that is simple, cheap, and has a bit of range ,sorry 300 km isn't enough. Especialy that the quickest you can recharge a EV is half an hour with a fast charger. The only EV that comes close to peaking my intrest is the Xbus from Electric Brands but that's the only one. Just like another guy in the comment section has said, Hydrogen. It's cheaper then gas before the crisis (at least over here in europe), it has a faaaaaar better range, and it takes only like a couple of minutes to refuel it. The only thing they need to do is to simplify the process so it can be produced at an industrial scale. I know, i know, easier said thand done, but i see a future in it, compared to the EV's that i see as a dead end and a stopgap sollution.
Even now, the ICE engine is cost-effective over electricity or hybrid for a low-mileage driver like me. I drive less than 7000 miles a year, and I drive an efficient comfortable Toyota Camry. I can drive my car anywhere I want and I never have to worry about charging stations. Also, even though I have off-street parking, there is no charging facility. The electric car is great for long-distance commuters and two-car households. But that isn't me.
The alternative is hydrogen. I'll add that I hear one thing about liquid hydrogen from people on the internet, then I hear about it from someone who has worked for Chevron within the refinery facilities, being involved in the process of making fuel. I'm glad that you mentioned the lithium mining bit. Most don't either care or don't want to know or believe that it contributes to "climate change". Hydrogen, just saying.
The most feasible at this time is a diesel electric vehicle. Basically the same technology as a locomotive. A small one or two cylinder engine that produces the needed electric to power the vehicle. This would easily get 100+ MPG.
It’s almost like every form of transportation has an environmental cost. Heck, even horse riding has sanitation impact (poop on the streets, methane, expensive upkeep). It really is a matter of weighing the pros and cons.
Yep I don’t like electric cars but hydrogen ones are better also because it can keep the concept of refuelling a car without creating a new, expensive and not fully functional ecosystem that is for electric cars. Also why are keeping us away from using our phones in the car when the car has an iPad, it doesn’t make any sense, it’s still very distracting…
Hydrogen is just an energy carrier and an inefficient one at that with huge conversion losses. The oil industry wishes it were the future as they can split hydrocarbons into H and C and just sell the H but it's cheaper to produce renewable electricity and store it in batteries. We already have a distribution system for electricity with poles all over the place. Hydrogen- there's nothing. Lithium mining isn't a climate change problem it's a human rights one and there are groups like IRMA working to clean up mining.
Subarus eyesight will do the same odd thing. We had a 21 Legacy that decided it was going to follow the off ramp lane instead of maintaining the current lane, and there was a car right next to us, nearly sideswiped it. The 14 Legacy we have luckily won't steer for you, but it has slammed on the brakes on a wide open road for no apparent reason. The 21 Ascent we had was the most behaved but these systems just aren't safe yet.
I'd prefer a car, be it a gas-powered or e-vehicle, which is entirely offline. Especially a car made in China given the iffy foreign relations during this era of imperialism and sabre-rattling. Among other things, parts availability in the future may be an issue
I own a 2020 ioniq ev and a 2008 jeep grand cherokee with a gas guzzling 5.7 hemi. Let me tell you both have their place and I use both regularly. The ioniq is the cheapest to operate transport I can have with 4 wheels, the jeep doesn't care about cold temps, ice, snow, rain, wind, hills, or how much weight is on it. EV's are good, but they shouldn't be the only option. PHEV's are much more practical for people who don't have the luxury of owning two cars though
Dude i wanted to watch all the quirks about this car, but got a lecture on my life! I loved it beautiful video. Life is expiriences good & bad we choose if we move forward or not. ❤
All Volvos remind me of that time I was at Wendy's and I was eating at the SuperBar and I saw this post-menopausal lady, she got on top of the SuperBar and just dropped her pants and started queefing on everything she was queefing on the garbanzo beans, and then she got a turkey baster and just filled up her snatch with some old pool water and then just queefed again and again and again and again and again-
Dude had a problem with his car which I admit would be alarming and he wrote a few emails. I think that is the best customer service that I've ever heard .
I'm not a huge fan of electric cars/trucks, but I'll give the company credit for that, and the only other companies I've personally dealt with that have had that good of customer service have been non car companies in Motorola, and JLab, in the fact Motorola knew they had a bad batch of launch Moto G2 phones, I had issues with mine charging, and bootlooping, called them up on the phone, got a nice friendly person, and had a new phone in hand insight of 3 days via Fedex cross shipping,
Far as JLab anytime I've gotten a bad product from them I fill out the form on their website, send back the product(3 different times, with one my fault for dropping a pair of headphones on down a set of brick stairs), and they always give me more back in credit than I paid for the product, and one time even got a nice email directly from the CEO asking how they can improve their products to make them better.
SO yeah good customer service no matter the product even if it's a $10 Bluetooth headset can go a long way in keeping customers for the long haul.
Not really. He first went to the Volvo dealership who told him that it was normal for his car to steer him into potentially oncoming traffic. That's horrible customer service! Then he had to find out who the executives at Volvo/Polestar were to email them. But realistically, how many people would even think to do that? It's good that he got a response right away from the president, but it should have never gone that far.
@@seannewman8542 I agree with you about the dealers. But I give people more credit than you do when it comes to finding email addresses.
I wish I had bought one of these instead of a Model 3! My range is like 370miles, but I wish I had a company that actually cared about my business long term and wants to improve their products instead of resting on their laurels.
@@seannewman8542Volvo dealers don’t sell Polestar vehicles, so the CSA’s aren’t trained to handle/advise those clients. Thats what Polestar’s ‘Spaces’ are for, which are completely separate locations. However some Volvo dealers act as service centers for Polestar.
It’s a bit of an odd relationship.
The next EV evolution (heh) will be manufacturers finding out -- the hard way -- that "everything on one big tablet screen" is not a safe interface in a bloody car, and going back to physical controls.
That, and not everyone is willing, or can afford to cough up for a whole new ride when the battery finally gives out, and they will have to lower the cost of a replacement battery pack.
I feel like a lot of gas powered cars have the big tablet as well. Touch screen in cars is an issue regardless seemingly.
THIS!
That's not even an EV problem at this point. My friend's Subaru Outback is like that as will be the 2024 Impreza.
Most of the big complaints about new EVs are stuff like this, nothing to do with the car being electric. I get the sense ICE vehicles are trending in these wrong directions too, though maybe to a lesser degree as they tend to be more "traditional" in design while EVs - still being seen as either a novelty or "the future," tend to embrace these trends - good or bad - more quickly.
I never feel like Nick is merely Brian's sidekick. They both add equal value to the show with their own flavors and it's amazing! Keep of the great work guys.
I'm more concerned about the IT-ization of cars than I am about the electrification. Like, at the very minimum, my car should still "turn over" and _go_, even if it's in a limp-home sort of mode because all the sensors have failed and it can't do automatic lane keeping or adaptive cruise control at the moment. Like, as long as the drivetrain is certain it isn't going to grenade itself, all of the rest of the advanced features they drape off of cars these days can sit in the back seat while I go take my mom grocery shopping or whatever.
This is most of the complaints I see about electric cars (and have about my mom's Tesla). Which has nothing to do with it being electric, an EV could exist without that. But many ICE cars are like that too, so it's not just an EV trend. EVs are probably worse just because, still being novelties to some degree and "the future," manufacturers tend to stuff more of this stuff into them than they do their "legacy" ICE models. I think many of the EV complainers are comparing them to 10-15 year old ICE cars, from a time when cars were "just cars," if one compared an EV with a contemporary ICE car they'd see the same issues.
Cars are better the fewer computers they have. EVs are just giant computers on wheels. To be fair, modern ICEs are also full of computers, but at least the engine makes them somewhat mechanical.
I agree, even ICE cars that rely too much on tech put me off. Perhaps it's discomfort in knowing you're not fully in control idk
IT-ization and SaaS will kill the industry. Compounded by adding more debt onto lease and financed car users. This will destroy the industry financially. BMW 3.0L Straight 6 cars are one of the pioneering perpetrators of this business model right now and Mercedes just launched their subscription service. This needs to stop.
@@Thinginator LOL other way around. The Computer on wheels when it comes to BEVs does not require must alteration to keep it working reliably once it is configured properly at the factory should work great for the entire 15 years. Problem with ICE is the consumable parts change and the health of the engine e.g. timing constantly changes and the Electronics to manage it has to adapts. The computers on BEVs will survive much better than all the Compute Units on modern ICE cars. Not adapting to changing moving parts being the massive benefit.
I appreciate they just left the touchscreen greased up for that authentic real world aesthetic
That thing was so distracting . . . and disgusting.
I have to clean my cars one almost daily. The fingerprints physically hurt me.
The Polestar 2 is the electric vehicle I've most had my eye on. My neighbor got one and there are at least a couple more in the neighborhood, now. I love how aggressively _normal_ it is. It's "a car", which happens to be electric, and not a statement piece.
The issue with the connectivity module seems less like an "electric car" issue, and more like a "computerized car" issue, which all vehicles are, or are becoming at this point - electric, internal combustion, or otherwise.
"Sorry, I'm normal!"
- Polestar 2, 2022
It actually feels like an ICE to drive too. Feels like a really nice straight six bmw
I respect polestar owners. They are more unique to see in the sea of Teslas that is the Seattle metro area.
@@rturner4205 the suspension is much better than Teslas, so if I see a Polestar I assume they actually like to drive on dynamic roads! Teslas seem built for the motorway.
Well said. I just want it to work. I have a 23 Polestar 2 LRSM on order. Very few around in Victoria BC where the Model 3 is a dime a dozen.
Glad to hear Nick's voiceover again!
Bonus: That FTX cap logo didn't age well
Now it’s ironic
Thank you for listening! Or watching. Whichever. It's appreciated either way, since I don't always particularly love listening to my voice myself, so it's never less than heartwarming to have people actually glad to hear it.
@@LimitedTimeRoman Just Wondering If You Guys Take Creative Control When You Write The Scripts For These Videos Based On Who Is Voicing It Or If It's Just Intonation That Makes The Videos Feel So Different I Do Quite Enjoy The Variety In The Reviews Themselves When You Show Up Because It Feels Like The Vibe And Viewpoint Is Quite Different Especially When You Reviewed Your Mom's Escape
@@LimitedTimeRoman I'll admit, normally I would tune away from a "Roman video". I think that you are doing great my guy. Your voice is fine, great enunciation and unique.
It’s a Mercedes F1 hat. Just FTX advertising on it.
Love this script Nick; summarizes so many of my feelings about not just the “ICE v EV” wars but also the modern state of humanity. So in short, a perfect RCR video. Bravo ❤
Thank you so much! That means a lot, and I'm really happy you enjoyed it. I'd love to do more of these, and not just when Brian's on vacation (although dude absolutely deserves more of those).
I own a 2022 P2 and this was an extremely fair and solid take on an in between car. It’s based on an ICE car frame from the Volvo XC40 mini SUV, which has been HEAVILY reinforced to hold the battery, hence the extremely wide and solid stance. I regularly get better range than estimated, and the AWD grip and handling is remarkable, coming from a former WRX and Audi A7 driver. Definitely the rare electric that sits right between “enthusiast” and “appliance”.
Thanks for this! I have a 23 LRSM on order and am just going based on reviews. I haven't even sat in one.
I sometimes forget how incredible of a writer Roman is. So many times during the video I had to pause and digest some of the quotes he threw out.
same here.
Ikr. Roman's reviews make you reevaluate your life. Mr. Regular's reviews make me wanna bust sometimes. 💦
That intro made me think I had fallen into one of the all too common "Mustang/Camaro/Hellcat vs. Tesla" threads on any forum dedicated to that first bunch of cars. Spot on.
As a mustang and Tesla owner, OMG, yes. I think my favorite complaint was when someone asked about what happens if the battery dies in a Tesla or it shorts. …good thing ICE vehicles never have a dead battery or electrical shorts. 😂 Range is my second favorite one. My 8yo Tesla has better range than my mustang!
That's a really fair take on the nEVer-EV crowd talking points and possibly their origination. If I found myself in the market for a new car, I'd be foolish not to consider an EV option because the truth is they work really well for 98% of what I do with a daily driver. And yet we have an entire contingent of "car people" decrying electric in one breath and extolling rotary in the next. Truly bizarre times we are in.
Diesel crowd being the ignored middle child.
@@Jamesaepp I have a diesel. It's great for what it does, but it's expensive to run these days!
@@Jamesaepp diesel sucks as a commuter, only good for long haul. It takes so long for diesels to warm up in the winter the heater basically doesn't exist until you've driven 20min down the highway :/
@@super-kami-guru This is why I say middle child. Oldest child wants their ICE. Youngest child wants their EV. Middle child wants to take public transit in metro and rent a diesel for roadtrips.
@@Jamesaepp only vehicle I'd rent for a roadtrip is an RV. Flying is better anyways sitting on a highway for hours with nothing but fast food is hell.
I love how Mr Regular's videos are full of poop and fart jokes, and Roman's always eventually end up being a commentary on the philosophical meaning of life
English majors
I cant stand the first 5 minutes of shouting and moaning of that other guy. Its too much.
brown brown brown BROWN
@@stoff3r holy shit someone said it. I subbed to the channel for the philosophizing and commentary but always skip through the 3-minute long poop and fart jokes lol
That's pretty cool to know that Polestar's president took the time to respond.
On a different note, I think everybody should give it time until EVs are something we could all be accustomed to. I mean the same thing happened to ICEVs more than 100 years ago, and as Mr. Roman mentioned, it took a lot of "trial and error" before people accepted it as part of their daily lives.
We are in the equivalent of steam engines vs ICE period.
As someone that works for a large popular company, the President didn't actually reply. There is a department for the 'President" or 'CEO' to respond.
@@auburnalum9019 Maybe, but someone authorized to act on their behalf who sent for the car the next day... good enough.
@@goodvillain2962 The EVs today are a lot better than the ICE were then though. These are fully functional refined vehicles. They're mainly just pricey for downsides.
I love that you’re able to just completely gloss over the fact the lithium is mined by slaves, the strip mines destroy huge areas of the planet forever. Driving one of these cars is the equivalent of wearing a blood diamond and telling everyone about it.
OMG the timing of RCR releasing the Polestar 2 review along with Savagegeese and the E-Tron is perfect. Seriously, glad you guys are talking about the challenges of EVs.
Shut up nerd, go play sonic
Mr Regular is the real Polestar.....
Nick Roman = The Roman actually writes the content that Mr Regular is reading during a review. Nick is the brains.
@@auburnalum9019 Pretty sure it was a dick joke, but also... didn't know that.
@@halofour01 AFAIK they write together. Sometimes it might sway more toward one or the other, but it's a Lennon/McCartney kinda vibe I think.
HAHA!
We all know that the real Mr Regular are the friends we made along the way
I test drove one of these and it was tremendous. Incredible interior. It felt the most "car like" of any EVs I'd driven
They definitely did a good job on the interior. The exterior is also nice, far better panel alignment than anything made by *THAT* company and overall nice looking body lines.
To be fair that isn't a very high benchmark if you're comparing to modern gas cars, they've become so sterile and lifeless it's ridiculous
Glad to hear confirmation on that. I'm anti EV (as they currently stand), yet this always seemed to me like one of if not the only EV which was engineered to actually be a car rather than an iphone.
Beautiful episode. Bought my first Volvo a few months ago and I love it and the community. Polestar is a fascinating sector of Volvo so I’m glad to see the customer service is impeccable.
Thank you! We aim to make the experience as enjoyable as possible!
I got to tool around for an hour in southern Bavaria a while back in a Polestar. I enjoyed it. Not the same thing as owning one, I get it. But I was impressed.
Hat's off to Nick's voiceover skills; that rant at the beginning had me seriously convinced he was airing his own grievances until he broke character at the end lol
Woooo we haven't had a Roman review in a while.
Honestly it's hard to be excited about cars like this. It does what it's expected to do, and looks good. Which is everything you need in a good vehicle. But that's exactly what makes it a little meh.
The brand and its backstory is cool, though. And I respect the CEO Thomas Ingenlath for his service mindedness.
True but like Roman said, I think that's kind of the point. Just about every EV hitting the market is trying to really make a statement. This one doesn't.
One thing I love about having one is that it really does stay out of the way when you're just trying to get from A to B, but it's also... a LOT of fun to make bad choices with. I've taken mine out to the track and rallycrossed it and I think I'm turning into a car person. (In case I can't link in youtube comments, my channel is just my fuckin' around with the car videos
A regular car, if you will….
It's a car that needs to exist even if it doesn't excite the enthusiast RCR-watcher. It's a great candidate for someone like my mom, who's looking for an ev replacement for her almost-20-year old C-class Mercedes. Comfortable, quiet, understated styling, just works. These are the things a retired teacher wants in a sedan.
The fact that they barely ever mentioned the driving experience says a lot.
Nice job, Roman 🙂 I’m an old-school ICE car guy to the plaid-clad core but I have much admiration for the Polestar 2. Not big, not ostentatious, free from warped and repulsive “it’s the fyooture maaan” shapes and planes (I’m looking at you, Honda and Toyota). Clean. Elegant. Understated. Unfussy. Useful. Daily-able, almost. Finally I have hope (alongside the rapid rise of hydrogen power, Fates willing) that the future of personal transport may not be so damned disappointing after all.
Up until now I’ve skipped the Roman episodes, but after watching this one, I realize that was to my detriment. Great commentary!
I still skip them. It's just not the same.
Thank you! And hey, no judgments on the skipping. I totally get it. Glad to make a believer!
More educational, fewer poop jokes
my old Peugeot 308 (first series/2007) has a hook for bags on the passenger side... I'd say it was very popular with the ladies 😏... In general that car was extremely practical, it even had a place for 2LT bottles in the glovebox and A/C also blew on it
Those hooks are great in any car, the best place to place grocery bags unless I feel like having my groceries thrown around the trunk
My 2003 Nissan Almera had a curry hook. Very handy.
I have a 2009 308 and a 2014 Skoda Citigo, and both have those little hooks. I thought they were dumb/unnecesary at first, but I use them way more often than I thought, and I think they're great! Every car should have them
Ladies love the curry hook. All my homies love the curry hook.
That was my first car 😆 1.6S, 5-sp manual, wind up rear windows. Was actually really good fun on a twisty road too
As a complete petrol user, that was a phenomenal intro. You guys are great.
@emilyhotxxx4402 Volvo, stay strong brothers 💪
@@otto_jk you too, brother 💪
You use gasoline to heat your house, charge your phone, power your TV, and run your appliances?
Huh
@@Yixdywell it’s mostly coal for now so… yes?
I hope you realize it was satirical...
I had one of these a rental car in June. It was very fast and easy to drive, but the cabin wasn't tall enough for me (6 foot 5) to avoid banging my head. I felt some of the plastic in the car was a little cheap too. But we had the car for 5 days and we only spent like 20 bucks charging it. It was really impressive and something I would definitenly look at as a car if I could afford it.
The FTX hat at the end made me do a double take…
It's a Mercedes F1 Hamilton teamcap, I also did a double take, wondering when Gran Turismo and FTX ever overlapped. F1 and less than stellar sponsors are nothing new, sadly.
@@tarouyamada2686 hahaha double hilarious
It's also very, very good looking.
Volvo design team are absolutely killing it right now.
I disagree personally. Looks like just another chinese market ev.
Love cars - lifetime enthusiast of nearly every genre of cars. Drive an STi hatch now - it’s just great being one with the machine. Have ridden in some Teslas - they seem fine, but I’m as interested in them as much as I like my fridge. I do like my fridge - but I’m not passionate about it. When EVs design a car I can be passionate about driving, I will definitely get one.
Love the EV acceleration. Need a car that doesn’t feel like a heavy pig being thrown around a canyon road. My old BRZ felt great but low on power. Great light weight, low cog, great balance. Really special. My NA Miata is slow but endless exciting to drive anywhere except a crowded highway.
Not sure an EV can be made light enough for my preference, and capture the driving aspects of a sports car - well, not without getting well in to 6 figure price tags. Excited to see what they come up with, but right now the short list if I ever need to replace my STi is a Golf R, and even that might be too dull. Grew up driving 60s/70s American V8 muscle. That exhaust rumble you don’t just hear, but feel. Blipping the throttle and getting a response from angry beast consuming gasoline and oil at alarming rates. And the smell that went with that. My perfect EV would probably be hated by 99% of other drivers. I want comfort, but not luxury. No massive touchscreens. And the seats should hold me tight for sharp turns, and the suspension should have a setting that can break loose a filling.
I've had mine for a year now and it's definitely never done that crazy collision avoidance thing thank goodness. Also no tcam issues. 🤞🏻
omg Roman's Rant! amazing XD
i LOVE EVs, and have always been intrigued by them. im a car builder, ive built every car ive ever owned since 1994. 12 of those cars were water-cooled VWs (golfs, jettas, etc). i REALLY want to build a proper EV, using proven parts, with good range, but i dont want modern skin on it. my plan is to eventually get a wrecked e-Golf and swap the running gear and electrics into a MK2 Jetta Coupe. the coupe has a very special place in my heart because one saved my life a few years back. so i REALLY want to build a future-proof jetta coupe that i can plug into the solar that is going on my home, effectively making the car almost free to operate (other than brakes, tires, and LED bulbs, and the occasional set of shocks). ive been in several EVs and they are proper cars, so quiet. my only issue is the noise. i love a grumbly sounding engine. so ill probably end up making people think im bat-shit crazy because im driving my silent EV while making motor noises from stop light to stop light
The issue with the TCAM is happening on the Volvo C40/XC40 Recharge as well. Appropriately for RCR (reference Silicone Sally) is water intrusion. The seal around the antenna sometimes fails and the resulting water intrusion screws with the electrics and causes faults. Hopefully Volvo/Polestar will have it rectified soon. I drove the C40 a few months ago and it’s incredible and I want one.
My 2003 Toyota Echo, manual transmission, manual windows, manual locks, 267,000 miles runs perfectly. It's almost rust free thanks to basic care and Toyota build quality. It's comfortable enough as a commuter car and delivers a consistent 40mpg. When it burns too much oil, I'll throw another engine in it and keep driving as long as the body is in good shape. Nothing against EV cars, but when a manufacturer sells an EV with comparable long term reliability an simplicity, I'll consider it.
2021 Volvo Polestar 2: The official vehicle of a triggered Roman and then forced him into $300/hour therapy, a 6 month long spiritual journey in rural Mongolia to go find himself and them calm down and see the world through new eyes, only to return, see another Polestar on the streets, and then have a major relapse into the deepest, darkest pits of his soul.
Volvo usually makes things with practical touches. My 240 had a parking pass clip, a fantastic dash tray and kept the radio high up towards the sightlines so you didn't get too distracted messing with it.
There are 2 reasons why I switched to an EV.
1. My cou try is tiny so the range is enough to reach anywhere within reason and I can't exactly drive abroad for geopolitical reasons
2. Paying for charging at home is 4 times cheaper compared to paying for gas assuming fuel economy of ~32mpg
A bonus 3rd reason is less required maintenance.
Cheap to charge vs gas fill up until the majority of people get a ev and then the cost of electricity is twice as much or more. Plus we will have rolling black outs. Enjoy it now.
@@ieatpinecones98 Not sure about where you live, but over here we have half price electricity overnight, so cars can just charge when grid demand is lower. Problem solved. Also it's not like everyone's going to go out and buy EVs overnight so there will be plenty of time for the utility companies to plan and beef up the grid as demand increases.
tell me you are from Israel without telling me you are from Israel
guess why countries around are hostile since you bomb them on daily basis or you stole their land
@@therealchayd hope the United States follows. Our gov seems to have lost all brainpower.
@@ieatpinecones98 *Hopefully* they'll get their act together, especially after those issues in Texas last winter!
Hey! I’ve got one of these. Had the TCAM issue as soon as I got home from delivery. Drove to work the next day, and called Polestar, they sent two technicians to my work to fix it so I didn’t have to go anywhere. Haven’t had any issues since, and apparently the latest software revision has finally solved the issue, but hasn’t rolled out to OTA yet. (Apparently will in the next week or so.)
Anyhow, really enjoying it so far.
Damn.....Roman, that breakdown of our own personal hells hits home. I'm getting out of one of my own design now and this hits home...
This review is basically “change is coming losers, get used to it” and I love it .
Not really...
No, it's more "change is coming, but that doesn't mean you have to accept the change in the way that others want you to accept it. You can choose the path of the change for yourself"
Yes and I'm still never buying one in this lifetime
Just as "like it or not" actually means " you won't like it"
Kinda hard to "get used to it" when the price of change is a boot heel on your neck.
I’ll be happier with electric cars when “electric car” stops being this sort of identity thing and it’s really just a car.
The kia and the polestar seem to be headed in the right direction. I hope (but doubt) we can get past this idea that your car needs to forever be connected to the mothership to function properly. Give me an option that just has a key and just works. Like every other car I’ve ever had. If there’s a recall or something I can take it to the dealer.
I’m not thrilled about electric cars but I can see the benefits. However it seems like it would be a nightmare to own one if you don’t live in a house with a garage or at least some off the street parking.
Yes, yes, yes! I want a good car, I don't need it to scream "look at me! I am an EV!!!!!".
Kia, Volvo, Polestar, BMW (i4 specifically) are doing great in this respect. You're simply buying a nice car that happens to be a pretty damn good EV too.
Totally agree - much of the complaints I see about electric cars, and have myself about my mom's Tesla, are nothing to do with the fact that they are electric directly, in fact many modern ICE cars probably have the same issues. It's the way they're designed, as more a "gadget" or "device" (the way one might refer to a phone as such) than a car, with all the focus on fancy features and infotainment at the expense of basic functions as a car. As well as, like you say, how tied they are to the manufacturer, to the point it feels like you don't actually own it. An electric car without all that is entirely possible, I think some of the more "basic" ones are headed in that "just a car" direction, but at the same time all cars are headed in the "gadget" direction.
yeah, kia, Hyundai and volvo seems the only that refuse the idea of EV should be weird and different
If it's worst problem is that it's GPS doesn't work I'm kind of OK with that.
Also one of these days they really gonna make 1 for the lower tax brackets
I'm hoping that someday that they actually make an electric that is a bare bones driving person's Electric car but nobody would buy it because the kids just want to play video games on their pop up screen. I'm already worried about the thing breaking I don't need a bunch of options that on an gas car already break
Cars have been "identity things" for damn near as long as there have been cars. Mouth-breathers still piss their pants over Ford vs. Chevy. Don't even get me started on jort-wearing jackholes and their Corvettes...
@14:00-14:30 really hit the nail on the head. Made me think about my ex, past friendships and overall shitty experiences. Learn from them, be thankful they happened, move forward
But why would someone buy an EV as an enthusiast? Just because it's fast? And I'm not talking about straight line speed only, altho it seems like it's the only thing they can do well, but then again, with little to no emotion.
I'm not someone who's afraid of change or doesn't like technology and progress, in fact I have a 2018 Abarth 124 which is basically an ND Miata with different body panels, quite a modern car;
why would I willingly give up a car with a good sounding engine and an amazing manual transmission for electric power? Why would I renounce my little 2 seater for something bigger and pointlessly cumbersome and heavy that will never drive as good as somethign that I already have?
Why would any enthusiast give up their sporty coupe, big V6 or V8 sedan, compact hot hatch etc. for any modern EV that either comes in form of an SUV or a stupidly big, undefined kinda lifted sedan-that-isn't-a-sedan like this Polestar 2?
I don't see the point in switching, I really couldn't care less about what other people think, why would I?
“Emotions are evidence of things having happened to us, bad things, yes. But good things too. The quilted experiences of our lives are woven into a course fabric that soften over time into something resembling a story…”
Never change…
I have two gripes with EV's
1) Automakers (all of them) Insist they need to be sporty, and in doing so, make them worse than they need to be. Allow me to elaborate.
When one thinks of a "sporty car", images of a low slung, sleek silhouette with large wheels and a high belt line come to mind- all well and good, but to get an EV to work with that shape, headroom evaporates, or the center tunnel becomes more intrusive than Kanye West at a music awards show. The battery has to go somewhere, and the sportier the car, the lower the roofline, and the larger the battery it will need- it's like manufacturers are shooting themselves in the foot, and hoping that by using a larger gun, or aiming better the results will be different next time.
A sporty car handles well, and changes direction quickly, we can all agree to that, right? The issue with those two things is they traditionally require a vehicle to be relatively light weight, which is precisely what EV's are not. Even the lightest EV's are ridiculously heavy compared to their ICE counterparts, and because of all that weight (and the aforementioned sporty ride height), you end up with a vehicle with springs so stiff they could launch Micheal Moore into space and "the EV ride". The ride quality of most mainstream EV's can best be described as "slightly less punishing than being trampled by the 82nd Airborne". The combination of Thousands of pounds of battery, hundreds more of battery preconditioning equipment, and enough crash protection to prevent the car from going full Fukushima in a fender-bender means that there is a lot of mass, and given the ride height requirements for the sporty stance automakers mindlessly chase after, the result is shocks that could slow continental drift.
When we add it all up, we're left with a vehicle that is overpowered, stiff, cramped and expensive- not exactly sounding like a sure fire way to move thousands of cars, now is it? "The formula worked for Tesla" is what you might be thinking right now, and you're right to an extent, because look at Tesla's competition. They sold the Model S as an EV alternative to the 5/7 series BMW, it got by with its ride because it was supposed to be a sport sedan. Other automakers somehow got this twisted and decided thart all EV's should be sport sedans. The argument that James May made about vehicles being ruined by being "tuned on the Nurburgring" applies here, because even though the Tesla wasn't tuned for the absolute best ring time possible, its competition was, so by comparison, the ride of the Tesla wasn't seen as "that bad", but when compared to vehicles expected to be driven in the real world, the ride is borderline unacceptable.
The bumpy parts of the ring do not apply to the potholes of Detroit, and in chasing the sporty image, automakers have effective made the modern EV both too expensive and essentially useless to the consumers who would benefit most from driving one. If legacy automakers were serious about consumers willingly adopting EV's, there would be electric Oldsmobiles (for lack of abetter term) There would be electric cars with reasonable power, decent range, a comfortable ride, and a modest price point- all on the same model- but there isn't. The parts are all there, but the will just isn't. An EV does not have to be super fast. It does not need to ride like it's primary function is to ensure chiropractors stay in business, and it does not have to reinvent the segment. It just has to be competent at the intended function of automobiles in the class in which it competes. Without "boring" electric cars that your grandmother would own, EV's are destined to remain a sideshow in the automotive circus.
2) The door handles.
I have three gripes with modern cars in general:
1: they lock simple functions behind a stupid ipad duct taped to the dashboard
2: wtf even is that styling? US cars either looks like PS1 Lara Croft's chest, or an ostrich egg. BMWs look like someone with a large sniffer just walked into a bakery and smelled something nice.
3: CVTs. They drone worse than an antique with a 2 speed, and some of them are just plain unreliable. Let's leave them in ATVs and snowmobiles and use a regular automatic.
For evs it's:
1: the door handles, just give me a normal handle and stop electrifying every little simple component, ffs.
2: they're generally as expensive than a comparable ice car that's optioned out.
3: The vocal minority of "if you don't have an EV you're irrelevant and behind the times" type. AKA teslabros. It's not even really the car's fault, which is sad.
The PS2 has the same door handles as a Lexus. Slide hand in handle to unlock, swipe exterior of handle to lock.
Volvo honestly designs some of the best looking modern cars. They never seem to miss the mark with styling, and I’ve personally liked their styling since the 240 and even older cars.
This channel feels like home to me.
And I’m beginning to feel the opposite.
Funny how perspective works
240, 850, and s60 got kind of ripped on without much basis, my 240 has 500k. I miss the interior from the 850s. If the s60s 300horse was mentioned, it wasnt emphasized like it should have been
And yet, volvo comes out with an ev and we get the best rcr since the lecture on post modernism with the pt cruiser. Cars are art, and it's nice to see everything that they mean be touched on sometimes, and to have the change in the thing we love being talked about with such wisdom and benevolence, if not clarity.
Anyway, Roman if by chance you see this comment ill make it out to jakes flea market keepin an eye out for ya. I dont own jakes, but I think my buddys landlord does. Anyway, you guys should be really proud of this.
Roman, that opening rant was poetic, bravo!
a lot of people have said this in the comments and I agree, it's not so much the electrification of cars that I mind, it's the amount of non serviceable / automagic fully on components like I don't want the car to start steering on it's own, infact I never want my car to do that.
Cars today no matter if they are gasoline or electric seems like we are merely giving them suggestions and not actually controlling them. I wish there were more ways to turn off some of these systems and keep them off.
I think people falsely assume that the battery technology will inevitably get much much better over time. I don't think it really will. I think safety is something that can be improved much more than performance at this point.
I feel confident that solid state battery technology will make a pretty decent impact when they're properly implemented.
If you look at the learning on battery tech it's rapidly coming down in price and up in range/performance. I see no reason why that trend will stop as they achieve economies of scale, quite the opposite. Safety's already excellent.
lithium iron phosphate batteries are promising, and a few companies already offer them (mostly Chinese brands and some standard range Teslas)
It can get better, and it has. As I was charging up the EV work car we have at my job, a guy with a Nissan Leaf rolled up, mid-2010’s car. Asked him the range, he told me about 100 kilometres in town. Ours, a 2021, gets 300-400.
It’s getting there pretty fast
We've been waiting for solid state batteries for a long time. I know these things take time, but at a certain point, put enough potential energy in something and you get a potential bomb.
I prefer older ICE cars for the same reason I prefer my N64 to my PS5. My N64 will never need “over the air” updates to fix something that should’ve been resolved prior to release. It’ll always work even if there’s a “network failure” or is no longer supported. It’ll never be controlled, allowed or disallowed from a distance by an uncontrollable source.
You realize the N64 did release the add on DD drive right? Also, bad games on the N64 were just bad games. There was no glitch correction or fixes for broken stuff. Your ICE still gets recalls....
@@ricardoconqueso I realize that, but I think you’re missing the point of what I’m saying. I’m saying almost 25 years later and I can still play that game on my N64, whereas certain newer games can no longer be played because the servers are no longer supported. People don’t like the fact that an unseen IT bureaucracy can make something work/not work, after 10 years Volvo can decide they no longer want to support the network features of that car and it’ll essentially be a brick, where an older car properly maintained can just keep going
Nick, you nailed the issue with people and EVs. This was amazing man!! I don’t know how you guys do it. I know EV haters and they get so worked up about it. I couldn’t really grasp the internal reasons for their anger but this explains it. I need to watch this again!
Serious point about lithium mining: Lithium is mined by pumping water into underground salt deposits, some of which is lithium carbonate. (most of the rest is table salt and phosphate salt, which gets used for fertilizer.) The salty water is pumped back up and allowed to dry in the sun. It's the least ecologically harmful method of mining imaginable. People who complain about lithium mining being bad for the environment have no idea what they're talking about.
the thing about the polestar president responding to his email and having someone out the next day is very impressive and seems pretty on brand for volvo to me
I love EVs and I do have one myself (a tiny, Chinese made Dacia), do that's the progressive part of me.
The other part of me is very glad it has a mechanical handbrake, old-style heater controls (that you can operate without looking), very few driver aids (it beeps at you if you're too close to the car in front), I can have an app, but don't need it, basically it's a tiny compact car with 2000s level of electronic toys, but nothing that can shut the car down completely or steer me into oncoming traffic.
And I'm bloody grateful for that.
So, while I like EVs, I do not like a datacenter on wheels that needs connectivity in order to do anything.
And it's gonna be a while before I can trust all them newfangled high-tech doodas and whatnots.
In the meantime I'm just happy to drive a tiny little car that happens to be electric.
It's actually liberating to be able to choose a vehicle and not be hindered by ideology, desire to own a penis extension, or desire to impress friends, neighbors, family or total strangers.
L'enfer c'est les autre... Mr. Regular slipping some Satre in a car review. Thats smt you dont find anywhere else. love it xD
Actually, I quite like the Polestar. I like the interior. I like that Volvo is trying to rebrand part of their division. I like that it's not a Tesla. I cannot WAIT for the S90 full electric.
That first bit went on long enough that I was worried The Roman's car finally went Christine on him, and was relieved when he broke character. I'm sure that guy will show up in the comments anyway, just to make sure we all know that EVs are a fad and his car is still best car
I’m that guy but I’m self aware enough to know my v6 mustang isn’t cool
The character Roman did in the beginning of the video made a bunch of strong points that were never taken on.
"You can make excuses, or you can make a car that could be an actual player in the EV sector. But you can't really do both." I dunno, Tesla seems to be managing it pretty well.
I'm a died in the wool old-school gasoline addict. Cars & bikes, nice & junkers, track-days & tinkerin'.
I bought a new '11 STi, planning on mostly tracking it but didn't, was in a bike phase, so I sold it and got a ragged out 90k mile LEAF almost for free thrown in. Thought it would be a good joke for my buddies. Thing is, I loved that little car. Suddenly everything else seemed old fashioned. Several EVs later (and one Zero SR/F) I now drive a Lucid Air GT. Breathtaking. Plush inside and soft enough in Smooove mode to keep my wife happy. In Gooo! mode everything tightens up and gets sharp. Pounding it up a Colorado canyon or charging through Ozark sweepers this car is more of a drivers car than it has any right to be, more than that STi unbelievably. Call me a convert.
BTW, I laugh at the haters. They can be slow if they want to.
There is a small percentage of people whom EVs will never reach. I work with some of them.
Personally, I hope EV infrastructure comes around, but if it doesn't, it is of little consequence to me.
I love cars conceptually, but they take SO MUCH time and money to own and maintain, and there are so few places to safely enjoy them at their limits that I just use a car as an appliance, and race cars in video games.
It is sad, but I don't see that as a failing of anybody or anything like that, just how the world changes, and I've made my peace with that.
It’s actually not that out of reach… lol. I don’t make a lot. 50k a year. Now days it’s not that much and I regularly go to VIR which is 4.5 hours away. And there’s tons of autoXs even closer(I’m not a autoX fan but it’s there). Usually that’s an excuse to not do it
That's fine - at the end of the day, for pretty much everyone, a car is a functional device owned and used out of necessity. The only exception would be a vehicle someone owned as a project car or race car, never intended as a daily. But most enthusiast cars - even my own classic Beetle I find great joy in driving and working on - is primarily a functional device that enthusiasts want to have be more exciting than the minimum necessary to serve said function. A mindset of "If you must have a car, it might as well be a fun one." For most people though, the car is no more than a functional device, and they want whatever will serve that function with the least hassle and expense. And there's nothing wrong with that, in fact a sort of elegance in a way.
@@JamesDavis-mm2mi I'm not saying it's impossible, but I am suggesting that one has to form their life around cars in order for it to be worth the investment, and that's not as easy as it once was.
I suppose what I'm saying is that, when I look at the numbers, it doesn't make sense to me to have that much money going into a few days at a track. But, that's just me, I guess.
I find much more value spending WAY less money driving a racing sim and being able to do it from home instead of having to pay for a place to store a second car, deal with the maintenance, tires, track fees, travel, AND have a primary car that I can use to get the second car there, on top of the amount of time it takes to tend to all of that.
I get similar thrills mountain biking, or riding a motorcycle, both of which are much, much cheaper
@@quillmaurer6563 that's where I'm at. I had a Mk4 VW GTI that I absolutely LOVED but holy crap the amount of time I needed to dedicate to replacing wheel bearings and door control modules, and the first time I did a timing belt on that thing was the last time.
Now, after all that, I drive a 2023 Impreza with a manual and it's not nearly as quirky and it doesn't shift like a truck, but it does get me to work every single day. The VW was old and failed me a lot, I even missed a Mother's Day because my ignition lock cylinder failed and I had to hotwire it to get to work for the next few days, but damn do I miss that car. It was gorgeous and made such turbo noises
@@JamesDavis-mm2mi and, in all honesty, this comment reminds me of how much I've changed in my perspective I guess. I didn't quite realize that until this exchange
Realistically, if they want mass adoption of electric cars. The main issue is charging locations, speed, and price. Having charging stations as common as gas stations, only taking 20 minutes to charge and only costing you $0.10/kwh would be the ideal. But more realistically just common enough charging stations that people feel comfortable not having to check to see if the random rest stop 180 miles away has one or not. And the other main issue is appealing to people who don't know a thing about cars, and don't give a crap about cars, since unfortunately, that's most people buying cars nowadays.
I drove from Cincinnati to Naples Florida a couple weeks ago. I made the drive in one day. I spent around $250 in gas. In an EV it would have taken me probably three days. I would have spent well over $250 in hotels and charging station fees. This is why EV will never really take off.
@@12yearssober Never buy a vehicle to fit your 1% usage case- that's what rental cars are for.
@@rsmith02
I drive long distance quite often. EV would be useless for me.
@EagleStryker1
All EV's?
I’m glad we still have choice here in North America. The UK is setting an aggressive deadline that I think they’re going to have a hard time calling a finish line. They do have a transit advantage which might help, but I think we’ll see and extension on certain parts of the plan
Proprietary software, parts and tools are some of the biggest limiting factors. If companies won't allow 3rd party repairs they can all get recycled into something serviceable🤙
I think as time moves forward we are going to see car manufacturers implement some standards for EV:s as well. Polestar isn't the problem when it comes to not letting 3rd parties repair your vehicle, you can thank Tesla for that.
I suspect this is probably just as much a problem with late model ICEs. Most of the legitimate complaints about EVs are this and the reliance on touch screen controls, both of which I suspect are more new-car issues than EV issues (EVs are just all new cars because they haven't been around for very long, when we think ICE car we might visualize something 10+ years old). And both could be remedied if manufacturers cared to - though that I'm doubtful of.
@@quillmaurer6563 I couldn't agree more, I personally drive a late model (2008) Toyota. It has nearly the same fuel economy as new vehicles without the screens that are slow or burn out, cameras that get covered and become useless and or the excessive safety tech that almost promotes poor driving habits.
@@coryernewein In this context, I wouldn't think of your 14 year old car as "late model." This is what I was saying, EVs feel overly gadget stuffed by comparison because we're comparing brand new EVs (which all EVs are because they've not been around as long, at least not on a large scale) with 10+ year old ICE vehicles. ICE vehicles have had little advancement that is actually useful to owners/drivers in the past 15+ years, which I think might be part of why brand new cars (ICE or electric) are so gadget-stuffed, as well as some of the over-the-top styling such as the whale-shark grille trend. With no compelling practical reasons for someone to buy a new car over their 15-year-old one, automakers are desperate to make new cars feel different - even if not necessarily better - from older ones, to try to convince people that their old cars are outdated. But I suspect many people are (literally) not buying it.
@@quillmaurer6563 the philosophy of a "NEW" vehicle model every year is a huge part of consumer culture that has unfortunately been bred into alot of us. Car companies plan and hope for vehicle leases and not outright purchases😪 You are onto something with the gadgety state of vehicles, I feel EVs themselves are a gadget. Why not stick a 10spd trans behind an engine from 2008 and see the results as opposed to over-engineering with battery packs and turbos that will inevitably be the weak link and or cause issues that should never arise.
I would have stuck with my old 2004 Sienna but Ontario is not a nice place for salt lol If I have my way I will keep this vehicle until parts are unobtainable🤙
As one who wants a quiet drive to work i love the theory of electric cars. But i also cannot stand heavy cars which is why i drive a Scion xB >2400lbs .
Also i do not want a giant screen while driving. Just need my speedo extra dim
i think the exact issues you explained with this thing is exactly what turns off people from electric cars. the ev1 and by extension the first gen rav4 ev should have been the blueprint for the future of electric cars. post tesla these things completely lost the plot. over complications of things that literally have been industry standard for decades, stuff as simple as door handles, hell even climate controls that get stuck behind unresponsive menus. bring back actual simplicity and not make it a convoluted mess confined to a screen & hampered by poor connection to a server.
I don’t have a problem with electric cars existing.
I have a problem with somebody trying to force me to drive one someday.
I don’t care how fast or efficient they are.
I like analog driving experience
When I heard Roman’s voice, I expected a 3 hours video 😂
Look, I’m not against EV’s. I just prefer my gas powered cars and manual transmissions. Someone asked me when I’d finally be willing to buy an EV, and my answer was and still is: When driving a gas powered car is no longer practical for daily driving and is actively difficult to do, then I’ll probably buy an EV. And I don’t see they happening for at least 20-25 years.
I'm not a fan of EVs because they they take out the majority of the mechanics that makes cars enjoyable plain and simple
And we don't have the infrastructure that may be a bit but we definitely don't have one that could support it, maybe in a decade or two but not right now.
I'll buy an EV when the batteries weigh half of their current weight and they can at the very least reach the reliability and aesthetics of early 90's Honda
I did a college project on the EVs and how it would affect the grid, by the end of it I was essentially reciting the first minute of this video.
The grid adapted to most American houses having some sort of air conditioning just fine.
Rich's Rivian road trip video was pretty interesting.
Where is the "direct replacement for a Corolla or Impreza but EV"?
I want that level power, range, and price. Could this have half the power, a cheaper interior and cost 15k less?
Keep an eye on Hyundai/Kia. They'll probably make it first.
The MG4 looks promising but I doubt it'll make it Stateside (there's a few Chinese EVs that'd meet the criteria). VW ID.3 may also be a bit small for US tastes. Maybe the next generation Kona electric? With many EVs having their batteries under the passenger cab it's not a surprise that most use a crossover body style. Price of course is a challenge but I suspect we'll see the Chinese brands reach parity first.
@@deanstyles2567 Crossover body style is likely a given. FWD would be acceptable for many. My only real issue with EVs is the normalization of the $60,000+ "family car" when my family of four always did fine with a traditional sedan. I think a ton of us would be fine with the EV equivalent of say a Kia Soul. Price included though, it cant cost 40% more than its ICE counterpart.
Batteries. They’re too expensive in current state; the closest we’ve come to an affordable EV for the masses in the US is the Chevy Bolt. Even with that, I think we all saw how Chevy and LG flew a little too close to the sun with that battery pack which originally caught on fire. The market is such right now that if you have $50k or more to spend you have several great options and if you have less your choices are very slim.
personally, the big problem i find with EV's is the infrastructure. they feel classist in a way bc if you don't own a home, you most likely can't charge an EV where you live. If there existed charging stations that were similarly convenient to gas stations then it would be something I could consider, but until that happens its not feasible to me and i imagine many others as well.
The actual cars I don't mind, it's the concept that they are better for the environment than a car from 50 years ago. We just don't know how long these cars will last. A ford Model T will still run if you fix it up properly cause everything is mechanical. The most environmentally friendly vehicle is a car that has outlived its expected life of service. My car is 18 years old and still runs.
My 2002 Ford Ranger runs great, but it needs a new air intake. Without one, it will die. Well guess what? Ford stopped making them and so did all the other aftermarket suppliers.
It's a plastic part that, in accordance with planned obsolescence, will force me to buy a newer vehicle.
From a standpoint of emissions during production that is true. But on the road it depends entirely on the use case. Are you buying a brand new EV to drive 1000 miles a year? In that case, it would have less carbon impact to drive your existing ICE vehicle, it might even be better in comparison to buy a new ICE or hybrid to a certain point. But if you’re driving anywhere closer to average, the point at which the EV “pays for itself” environmentally speaking is not very long out. UA-cam channel Engineering Explained did a good video on this topic years ago that I still like to point to when this topic comes up
@@Stripestore This is under the assumption that EV's will have as long or longer of a lifespan as gas cars. I personally don't believe the CO2 Crisis. But lets say I did. How many expected owners does a Tesla have? Could it withstand 20 Canadian Winters? Along with that, if you properly store a gas car. With some minor maintenance and fluid changes, that car will still be as good as the day it was in storage. The lithium batteries are always degrading. Its all about points of failure. I'm also not the biggest fan of having my car computerized. In the future, maybe this works.
@@quentins8165 you obviously didn’t watch the video I linked or otherwise have any data points to reference when it comes to efficiency comparison. But basically an ICE only gets ‘dirtier’ the more miles it’s driven, while the EV gets cleaner compared to ICE.
I’d guess this generation of tech is at least another 10 years or so away from skeptics like yourself having any sort of confidence in the longevity. I live in upstate NY, and have owned a 9 year old Nissan Leaf, and a 4 year old Chevy Bolt. The Bolt with its actively cooled battery did not have any noticeable degradation to speak of yet, and the Leaf; one of the earliest air cooled batteries known for having the worst degradation; still had 80% capacity when I sold it. Neither had needed any maintenance in my combined 4 years of ownership besides tires on the Leaf and a 12v battery due to age. These newer EV batteries are designed to last 200k miles or more before significant degradation is shown, and even then, the range is still useful to someone on the used market if it’s no longer enough for the original owner.
Also you do realize the average age of vehicles on the road in the US is only 12.2 years?
Just wanted to add that I do also own ICE vehicles including a 20 year old Saab convertible I keep on the road for nice summer days. I don’t live in the EV bubble, but I’ve experienced firsthand over the last 5 years that the advantages are too many to ignore for a daily driver, and most of the FUD I see in the comments is unfounded.
Whenever I see anti-EV comments (especially about performance cars), it's always the same old "ICE til I die" shit... and Roman, you took the absolute piss out of 'em in the greatest way possible! Thank you
Can someone make an EV with normal keys, Normal door handles, normal volume buttons, normal climate controls, etc?
nope, because physical controlls are more expensive than a software inside an already existing touchscreen
@@Tonyx.yt. not if the touch screen isn’t there. Go look at a base Hyundai. Super small screen for rear camera with dials and buttons.
@@b22chris base Hyundai didnt even cost as nearly as EVs, that's why, the cheapest EV is quite more expensive and a sizeable touchscreen is given for granted at this price point
@@Tonyx.yt. my point was they could lower the costs by getting rid of all the bells and whistles.
Base car that’s an EV.
@@b22chris nope because most of the pubblic prefer paying 50k for a fully loaded vehicle than 40k for a bare bone version and profit on optionals Is much higher than on barebone vehicle itself
To me, what gives P* the edge over ALL other EVs is plain build quality. Seen them in person at my local Volvo dealer and it at least felt and appears REALLY well manufactured. So basically, a high tech Volvo. I own 3 Volvos tho so I am biased.
It’s just Polestar. No Volvo.
Volvo is something of a shell corporation, correct? They were purchased for the name and instant credibility, and dealer network.
I just bought a C40…. Which is basically the same car with a different body.
Very cool looking, and they are fast and very comfy.
Came in expecting a review about a car I'm interested in and left with a therapy sesh, thanks Roman.
I have one, if you have any specific questions. Not a fanboy, I’ll be honest.
Best thing about raycons is they have you a sponsorship.
You had me at "electric vehicles all the way down."
Here's what an electric car means to me: a regular car that happens to have an electric drivetrain. I don't need to unlock it with my phone, I don't need a 17" TV velcroed to the dash, I don't need (or want) self-driving, I don't need it to park itself. This is why I'm going to convert an older car instead of buying a new one. I'm thinking a classy-as-fuck 1956 Cadillac sedan with the motors and batteries out of a Rivian R1-T.
Love the FTX hat lmao
Wasn't prepared for this deep video asking us to be introspective. I live in Washington state which feels like a central hub for Tesla since 50% of the road is just that. My reluctance to EV's are just seeing a sea of these boring looking Tesla variations literally everywhere sapping the diversity of the road. Everyone here worships these things. Someone gets a new Tesla in the office, people flock and praise how wonderful and beautiful it is. I've been in one and it's a wonderful ride but I just can't wait till more companies make these things so we can get some kind of diversity back.
Not really against EVs, they’re just so bland, sterile, with no right to repair, it’s hard to get excited about. Also the EV fans and their snobbish attitude is a turn off.
The same type of people who tried to push the metric system down our throats like 40 years ago.
With me its just the artificial complexity, the price, the fact that every EV has to be a luxery car.
Give me an EV that is simple, cheap, and has a bit of range ,sorry 300 km isn't enough.
Especialy that the quickest you can recharge a EV is half an hour with a fast charger.
The only EV that comes close to peaking my intrest is the Xbus from Electric Brands but that's the only one.
Just like another guy in the comment section has said, Hydrogen.
It's cheaper then gas before the crisis (at least over here in europe), it has a faaaaaar better range, and it takes only like a couple of minutes to refuel it.
The only thing they need to do is to simplify the process so it can be produced at an industrial scale.
I know, i know, easier said thand done, but i see a future in it, compared to the EV's that i see as a dead end and a stopgap sollution.
Even now, the ICE engine is cost-effective over electricity or hybrid for a low-mileage driver like me. I drive less than 7000 miles a year, and I drive an efficient comfortable Toyota Camry. I can drive my car anywhere I want and I never have to worry about charging stations. Also, even though I have off-street parking, there is no charging facility. The electric car is great for long-distance commuters and two-car households. But that isn't me.
I refuse to pay 50k for something that is “Made in China”.
If I'm gonna spend 50k its gonna be on a fully option'd out Maverick and still have money left for fuel and bills.
I say this as someone who Daily's a Mustang year round in Michigan, I think Hybrids make more sense then EVs. You get benefits of both worlds
The alternative is hydrogen.
I'll add that I hear one thing about liquid hydrogen from people on the internet, then I hear about it from someone who has worked for Chevron within the refinery facilities, being involved in the process of making fuel.
I'm glad that you mentioned the lithium mining bit. Most don't either care or don't want to know or believe that it contributes to "climate change".
Hydrogen, just saying.
The most feasible at this time is a diesel electric vehicle. Basically the same technology as a locomotive. A small one or two cylinder engine that produces the needed electric to power the vehicle. This would easily get 100+ MPG.
It’s almost like every form of transportation has an environmental cost. Heck, even horse riding has sanitation impact (poop on the streets, methane, expensive upkeep).
It really is a matter of weighing the pros and cons.
Yep I don’t like electric cars but hydrogen ones are better also because it can keep the concept of refuelling a car without creating a new, expensive and not fully functional ecosystem that is for electric cars.
Also why are keeping us away from using our phones in the car when the car has an iPad, it doesn’t make any sense, it’s still very distracting…
Hydrogen is just an energy carrier and an inefficient one at that with huge conversion losses. The oil industry wishes it were the future as they can split hydrocarbons into H and C and just sell the H but it's cheaper to produce renewable electricity and store it in batteries. We already have a distribution system for electricity with poles all over the place. Hydrogen- there's nothing.
Lithium mining isn't a climate change problem it's a human rights one and there are groups like IRMA working to clean up mining.
The thing is, I would never, ever, trade my EV for a hydrogen car. There’s no practical advantage if you have the ability to charge at home.
I mean i have a very good argument against efficacy of electric cars in solving climate change. Two words "public transport"
That thing is Uggggly
Subarus eyesight will do the same odd thing. We had a 21 Legacy that decided it was going to follow the off ramp lane instead of maintaining the current lane, and there was a car right next to us, nearly sideswiped it. The 14 Legacy we have luckily won't steer for you, but it has slammed on the brakes on a wide open road for no apparent reason. The 21 Ascent we had was the most behaved but these systems just aren't safe yet.
I'd prefer a car, be it a gas-powered or e-vehicle, which is entirely offline. Especially a car made in China given the iffy foreign relations during this era of imperialism and sabre-rattling. Among other things, parts availability in the future may be an issue
Yeah, but alas, parts availability will affect a lot of other brands and parts you wouldn't expect. Rivian's A-Arms are made in China, for instance.
I own a 2020 ioniq ev and a 2008 jeep grand cherokee with a gas guzzling 5.7 hemi. Let me tell you both have their place and I use both regularly. The ioniq is the cheapest to operate transport I can have with 4 wheels, the jeep doesn't care about cold temps, ice, snow, rain, wind, hills, or how much weight is on it. EV's are good, but they shouldn't be the only option. PHEV's are much more practical for people who don't have the luxury of owning two cars though
I’m not a fan. Volvo and polestar are chinese-owned.
Dude i wanted to watch all the quirks about this car, but got a lecture on my life! I loved it beautiful video. Life is expiriences good & bad we choose if we move forward or not. ❤
All Volvos remind me of that time I was at Wendy's and I was eating at the SuperBar and I saw this post-menopausal lady, she got on top of the SuperBar and just dropped her pants and started queefing on everything she was queefing on the garbanzo beans, and then she got a turkey baster and just filled up her snatch with some old pool water and then just queefed again and again and again and again and again-
Pretty early in the morning to have that image in my head........I like it.