Karmactive Team
A Polestar 3 electric SUV has just set a new Guinness World Record by traveling an impressive 581.3 miles on a single battery charge. This achievement smashes the car’s official range rating by 143 miles and sets a new benchmark for electric SUVs.
The record attempt used the recently launched Long Range Single Motor version of the Polestar 3. Three professional efficiency drivers – Sam Clarke, Kevin Booker, and Richard Parker – took turns behind the wheel in three-hour shifts during the nearly 23-hour journey.
Starting near Norwich in eastern England, the drivers navigated mostly flat A and B roads, along with some dual carriageways. The team faced challenging weather conditions including rain and standing water, which increased rolling resistance and made efficiency gains harder to achieve.
“There’s always jeopardy, and our attempt could have been hampered by the adverse weather conditions and traffic we experienced,” said driver Kevin Booker. “There was a lot of standing water during part of the day, meaning more resistance from the tires and lower efficiency.”
The unmodified SUV ran on standard 20-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 EV tires. It achieved an efficiency of 5.13 miles per kilowatt-hour (mi/kWh), which equals 19.5 kWh per 100 miles or 12.1 kWh per 100 kilometers. This efficiency level rivals that of much smaller electric cars.
Guinness World Records judge Paulina Sapinska officially verified the record. The attempt used Webfleet telematics to provide independently verified video footage, odometer readings, GPS data, and battery level information. The AA provided safety support in case the vehicle ran out of charge far from a public charger.
Interestingly, the Polestar 3 reached its official WLTP range figure of 438 miles with 20% battery still remaining. The car even managed to travel an additional eight miles after the display showed 0% battery before reaching a charger.
The team faced a late challenge when they encountered road closures near Melton Mowbray. “Every time we tried to change direction, we found another road closure and another road closure,” explained Clarke. Quick thinking from the navigator helped the team find an alternative route without significantly impacting their remaining range.
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This record surpasses the previous electric SUV distance record of 569.64 miles set by the Ford Mustang Mach-E last year. However, it’s worth noting that other electric vehicles hold longer-distance records in different categories. The Lucid Air holds the broader EV journey record at 749 miles, while a Chevrolet Silverado EV recently achieved over 1,000 miles with light modifications.
Matt Galvin, Polestar UK Managing Director, highlighted the significance of the achievement: “For a large luxury SUV to go way beyond a London-to-Edinburgh distance is truly impressive. It shows how battery range has improved exponentially over the past few years.”
With the ability to charge from 10-80% in just 30 minutes at up to 250kW, Galvin believes “the adage that ‘EVs can’t go far’ has been very much consigned to the history books.”
The record-breaking Polestar 3 is part of the brand’s growing lineup, which also includes the Polestar 2 sedan and Polestar 4 SUV. The Polestar 3 SUV starts from £67,910 in the UK.
