5 days ago
Polestar 3 EV recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records
A professional driving team has managed to drive a Polestar 3 SUV for a record distance of 935 kilometres on a single charge in a recent test, which has now been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The record was achieved by three drivers over a period of 23 hours and covered a loop around Southern England in mixed conditions, both in terms of weather and traffic.
Before we conclude that this finally means the end of range anxiety, however, it should be noted that the three drivers are employed by Webfleet, a company that advises fleet vehicle operators on reducing fuel consumption. The drivers are known as "professional efficiency drivers."
Unlike most drivers, these professionals are trained to employ several techniques to boost fuel efficiency. I've driven in such tests before, and they're not easy to adapt to.
They involve avoiding harsh acceleration and braking, coasting without acceleration when possible, anticipating traffic conditions, using cruise control when possible and generally trying to coax the car to be as energy efficient as possible.
One of the drivers, Sam Clarke, told Auto Express magazine that this journey record is more relevant than an outright range record because "it's the closest thing to the real world, on proper roads at proper speeds".
He admitted, however, that achieving this range is not easy.
"We're not suggesting for a second that everybody can achieve the same ranges that we did, but we did exceed the WLTP figures by some margin, so it just shows what's possible. Driving a little bit more efficiently – which ultimately equates to just moving your right foot a few less millimetres each time – can actually generate significant amounts of range", he told Autocar.
The attempt took 22 hours and 57 minutes to complete in mixed weather conditions, including rain, and the Polestar 3 achieved an efficiency of 12.1 kWh/100 km. The three drivers took three-hour shifts behind the wheel.
The overall consumption was 12.1 kWh per 100 kilometres, which is what you might expect from something much smaller and lighter than the 2.4 tonnes of weight the Polestar 3 has to carry. It ran for a further 12.8 kilometres after the range indicator reached zero.
The car had the extended range battery and was unmodified in any way. It also ran on standard 20" wheels with Michelin 4 EV tyres.
The record was adjudicated by a Guinness World Records judge. Webfleet provided "meticulously documented and independently verified video footage, odometer readings, GPS readings, and battery level data."
