The Polestar 2 is the longest-serving member of the lineup, having debuted in 2019. Despite its age, the Swedish brand has kept it up to date with a 2023 facelift and a steady stream of model year updates. For 2026, the fully electric liftback gets a tech-focused refresh that includes a new infotainment processor, an optional Bowers & Wilkins audio system, and expanded personalization options.

More: Volvo Owners Find Fake ‘Bowers & V Vilkins’ Speakers In Chinese Cars

Starting with the exterior, the Polestar 2 is now available in a Dune shade, a sandy hue with a smooth mica finish that replaces the Jupiter color. In addition, the optional Performance Pack also features updated 20-inch forged alloy wheels with a fresh five-spoke design.

Moving inside, the EV gains a more advanced Qualcomm Snapdragon processor chip, bringing it closer to the rest of the Polestar lineup in terms of computing power. The upgraded chip boosts download speeds, improves responsiveness, and enhances the overall performance of the infotainment system.

An interesting addition to the optional equipment is the Bowers & Wilkins audio system with 14 speakers and a total output of 1,350 Watts. Furthermore, the optional Plus Pack adds a new bio-attributed MicroTech upholstery finished in Charcoal with a quilting design, and Black Ash inserts. Finally, the new Prime Pack bundles together the Pilot, Plus, and Climate packs alongside privacy glass on the rear side windows and rear glass.

There are no mechanical changes for 2026, but the CATL-sourced 70 kWh battery option that was introduced last year will be made available in more markets, replacing the older 69 kWh battery supplied by LG Chem. This results in a slight increase to the WLTP figure of the Standard Range Single Motor variant, from 546 km (339 miles) to 554 km (344 miles).

More: Volvo Dealers To Sell Polestars To Boost Sales

The Polestar 2 is compatible with the Plug & Charge technology introduced by the Polestar 3, which allows drivers to simply plug in the cable to a public charger and let the vehicle initiate and authenticate the process.

The 2026 Polestar 2 is already available to order in Europe, with other markets, including the US, set to follow later this year.

Polestar

Electric vehicles might be the future, but profitability? That’s still a rare luxury in the EV world. An interesting study has revealed that just four EV-only brands are currently operating at a profit, while many others continue to bleed money at impressive rates. It probably won’t shock anyone that Tesla and BYD are leading the charge, but some of the other top-performing names are a bit less expected.

Read: Only 1 In 7 Of Today’s Chinese EV Brands Will Be Profitable By 2030, Analysts Claim

The study examined the operating income ratios of major EV brands and found that in 2024, Tesla reported an operating margin of 7.2%, putting it just ahead of BYD at 6.4%. However, while Tesla’s margin has declined since 2023, BYD’s has been climbing. If that trajectory holds, as many analysts expect, BYD could soon surpass Tesla in operating profitability.

Vertical Integration Pays Off

Key to the growth of both of these brands is that they are vertically integrated, helping them to scale and reach profitability sooner. The only other two brands analyzed by the study to have reached profitability are China’s Li Auto and the Series Group, which includes the Seres, Aito, and Landian brands.

While none of the other EV brands analyzed turned a profit in 2024, a few are edging closer. Zeekr, part of the Geely group, reported an operating margin of -8.5% last year. But with sales on the rise, it may soon begin delivering profits for its parent company. Xpeng and Leapmotor are also moving in the right direction, having more than halved their losses between 2023 and 2024.

Nio is another important player in China’s EV market, but not a profitable one. Its 2024 operating margin came in at over -30%, suggesting it still has a long climb ahead before it sees black ink on its balance sheet.

Tesla Stands Alone Outside China

Tesla remains the only non-Chinese EV brand to hit profitability. Polestar hasn’t crossed that threshold yet, though it did manage to reduce its losses in 2024. Similarly, Rivian also remains in the red, though like Polestar, it continues to receive substantial external funding.

At the other end of the spectrum, Lucid holds the dubious honor of running the steepest losses in the EV sector. According to data from Rho Motion, its 2024 operating margin was -374%. That’s an improvement from over -500% the year before, but still, not exactly a sign of financial health. Heavy backing from Saudi Arabia is helping Lucid stay afloat despite the massive shortfalls.

What a difference a year makes. Rewind the clock to early 2024 and Tesla’s European arm was basking in the glory of becoming the best-selling electric brand in the region for the whole of 2023, and the first company to put an EV – the Model Y – on top of the the overall sales chart.

Now, fresh sales data from 28 key markets, including the EU, the UK, Norway, and Switzerland, shows that not only are Tesla’s sales down, but the American EV brand is also being collectively outperformed by Chinese-owned automakers.

Related: Tesla’s European Sales Have Collapsed, Down 45% As EV Market Surges 31%

Figures from Jato Dynamics reveal Tesla sold 15,700 cars in February 2025, down from 28,100 a year earlier, a drop of 44 percent against an EV market that was up by 26 percent to 164,100 units. Chinese-owned brands clocked up 19,800 sales this February, throwing serious shade in Tesla’s direction and leaving us in no doubt that China is making serious inroads into the European car market. And it’s only just started.

Tesla’s Market Share Takes a Hit

Tesla’s poor performance cut its market share to 9.6 percent, its worst February showing for five years, and the automaker’s year-to-date market share is down from 18.4 percent to 7.7 percent compared with 2024’s numbers. One partial explanation for that is the arrival of the facelifted Model Y ‘Juniper,’ which was revealed in January of this year, but wasn’t immediately available in Europe. It’s only natural that buyers would want to wait for the new-look SUV.

Model Y sales fell 56 percent to 8,800 units, while Model 3 sales fell by a less extreme (but still worrying) 14 percent to 6,800 units, which Jato says indicates Tesla’s overall slide is less to do with anti-Elon Musk sentiment than the imminent arrival of the the new Y.

EV Sales by Brand, Feb 25

VW, Chinese Brands, and the New Wave

Whether the new model can fully reverse the slide remains to be seen, but we doubt it. The Juniper changes aren’t that comprehensive and Chinese brands (and legacy Western ones) are only increasing their attack on Tesla. BYD’s sales grew 94 percent to 4,436, Polestar was up 84 percent to 2,405, and newcomer XPeng logged 1,034 sales, representing an increase of 259 percent from February 2024.

The best-performing brand in terms of EV sales, however, was VW, whose registrations boomed 180 percent to 19,600. The German brand’s ID.4 was the third-best-selling EV behind the Model 3 and Model Y, and VW,’s ID.7 and ID.3 were in fifth and sixth spot, separated from the ID.4 by Renault’s Car of the Year-winning 5.

EV Sales by Model, Feb 25