Polestar expands the Polestar 2 lineup, adds a single-motor variant

• 

  Polestar is adding two new variants to the Polestar 2 lineup. [credit: Polestar ]

On Tuesday morning, Polestar expanded its line of battery-electric vehicles with two new versions of the Polestar 2 fastback, both of which should be cheaper than the fully loaded $59,500 Polestar 2 Launch Edition we tested last summer.

In the next few weeks, the automaker will start offering a simplified version of the dual-motor Polestar 2. It says that this version should have an EPA range of 240 miles (386 km). That should increase if you option it with the Plus Pack, which adds a slightly nicer interior (using the WeaveTech fabric from the Launch Edition), more speakers for the sound system, heated rear seats, steering wheel, and wiper blades, but perhaps most importantly, a heat pump.

The addition of a heat pump means that the Polestar 2 can warm or cool the cabin with less draw from the 78 kWh battery pack, and Polestar says that at ambient temperatures between 40-60˚F (4.4-15.5˚C) it can add up to 10 percent to the car’s range.