Owners of Polestar 2 electric vehicles (EVs) can ditch their car keys thanks to an over-the-air software update reaching many cars today. The update may also slightly boost the range of some Polestar 2 models via improved battery management software. The update also gives owners the ability to switch on the air conditioning remotely so they can cool the cabin before they enter the car on hot days.
Polestar isn’t the first automaker to let you use your phone as your key. Tesla and Lincoln offer the feature in every market, while Audi’s Mobile Key system is available in limited areas. Hyundai offers a Digital Key feature on the Sonata that allows owners to use their own phone in place of the remote key fob and designate other phones to temporarily work the same way. It’s a feature useful for loaning the car to a teenager without giving them permanent access.
The keyless capability isn’t just convenient. Polestar says it’s also more secure than a traditional key fob. Using Bluetooth instead of radio frequency technology, it should thwart the radio frequency spoofers some thieves use to activate cars.
The Polestar 2 is a high-riding, sportback electric vehicle built by what used to be Volvo’s performance division. Polestar is now a separate division building its own cars – the high-performance, $150,000-plus Polestar 1 and the sub-$60,000 Polestar 2. It plans to “build the first truly climate-neutral car” by 2030.
