Polestar 2 vs Volvo EC40

The Volvo EC40 costs £1,650 more than the Polestar 2. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The Polestar 2 is not just cheaper - it also offers 45 miles more WLTP range, a 0.9s quicker 0-62mph time and lower energy use, 149 versus 167 Wh/km. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Polestar 2 comes out ahead overall.

The Polestar 2 is £1,650 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £160 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Polestar 2 comes out roughly £1,770 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 231 miles for the Polestar 2 and 206 miles for the Volvo EC40 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Polestar 2 goes roughly 25 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 26-26 minutes.

The two are within 14 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 541 mm of total clearance for the Polestar 2 and about 527 mm of total clearance for the Volvo EC40. The Volvo EC40 also turns in a 0.5 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the Polestar 2 and 84% for the Volvo EC40. That gives the Polestar 2 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Polestar 2's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Volvo EC40's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.