The Polestar 2 is taking the auto industry by storm, placing among the top ten-selling electric vehicle in some of the most popular vehicle markets. In 2022, the Polestar 2 became a top-selling electric company car and made the top ten overall company cars in Germany, home of luxury vehicles and auto innovation.
Polestar 2 is among Germany’s most popular company cars
According to LeasePlan, the world’s largest fleet management service company, the Polestar 2 was the company’s most popular company car in 2022 in Germany.
Polestar’s first fully electric vehicle beat out the Tesla Model 3 Long Range and Model Y long-range, claiming the top two spots with different variants.
The Polestar 2 AWD long-distance model was the most popular choice, followed by the FWD variant that has since been upgraded to RWD.
Perhaps, more importantly, the Polestar 2 cracked the top ten overall most popular company cars in Germany as it creeps up on Volkswagen and Ford’s top-ranking spots. Christopher Schmidt, commercial director at LeasePlan Germany, said:
In the future, stronger incentives for electric cars must be created so that more and more drivers in companies can switch to electric drive and we can make the entire top 10 list greener.
Meanwhile, even without more incentives, the Polestar 2 continues gaining ground in a competitive region.
Polestar first revealed the Polestar 2 in February 2019, a premium fully electric performance fastback destined to compete with the Tesla Model 3.
The EV was initially launched in mid-2020 in Polestar’s original markets, including Norway, Sweden, Germany, UK, and Belgium, growing to become one of the most popular EVs in many of those regions since then.
Since its launch, the Polestar 2 has evolved with over-the-air (OTA) updates, adding new features to optimize the driving experience.
Earlier this year, the 2024 Polestar 2 debuted with several exciting upgrades to complement an upgraded facelift, including bigger batteries, more powerful motors, RWD, and Polestar SmartZone that essentially acts as a third eye with intelligent cameras and sensors to enhance safety.
Electrek’s Take
This is pretty significant news considering Germany is known for its high-quality automakers. Polestar is expanding globally and establishing itself as a real threat in the rapidly growing EV market.
Polestar hit its goal of delivering over 50,000 vehicles last year as it expanded its global position.
The EV maker stregthened its position and beat expectations in Q4 while several young EV makers revealed financial struggles.
Polestar’s CEO Thomas Ingenlath is preparing for another big year with the Polestar 3 rolling out, the brands first electric SUV, with over 300 miles range.
In addition, Polestar is gearing up to launch its electric performance SUV coupe this year, the Polestar 4, which will compete with top EVs in the segment like the Tesla Model Y.
Next year, Polestar has another star-studded lineup due with the Polestar 5 electric four-door performance GT due.
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China just connected its largest single-capacity solar farm built on a former coal mining area, which is in the Gobi Desert, to the grid.
The Mengxi Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station, located in Otog Front Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, came online on November 5. With a massive installed capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW) and over 5.9 million solar panels, the plant will generate around 5.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – enough to power 2 million households.
This huge project will save about 1.71 million tons of standard coal each year and cut carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 4.7 million tons, which is equivalent to planting 62,700 hectares (around 155,000 acres) of trees.
Built on coal mining subsidence land, Mengxi Blue Ocean is part of China’s national West-East Electricity Transfer Project, which brings investment and development to western China west while supplying the growing need for electricity in the eastern provinces.
The solar farm includes the country’s first large-scale outdoor solar testing base in the Gobi Desert climate, demonstrating the potential for large solar installations in challenging environments.
The power station makes use of new rare earth alloy grounding materials, cutting costs by 40%. It also replaces traditional concrete foundations with steel to minimize impact on the local grassland ecosystem.
Chuang Xihong, deputy director of the Engineering Construction Department of Guodian Power Group, CHN Energy’s parent company, explained that Mengxi Blue Ocean is an agrivoltaic project as well [via PV Tech]:
Fine forage and sand-fixing plants are planted under the PV modules, providing grazing for Australian White Sheep and chickens. A composite ecological development model will be established where PV power generation and breeding will go hand in hand.
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Operations at Three Mile Island are poised to restart in four years, the latest sign that the nuclear power industry is undergoing a major turnaround after a wave of plant closures.
The Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island, which entered service in 1974, was permanently shut down in 2019 due to economic pressure as nuclear power struggled to compete against natural gas. But the tech sector’s growing power needs are breathing new life into the industry.
Constellation Energy plants to restart Unit 1 in 2028 through an agreement with Microsoft to help power the tech company’s data centers. The plant will be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center — after Chris Crane, the late CEO of the plant’s former owner, Exelon — and its restart is subject to approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The Department of Energy said Unit 1 operated safely and efficiently before being shut down five years ago. However, it lies within walking distance of the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history. The Unit 2 reactor suffered a partial meltdown in 1979 and has not operated since the accident. It is being decommissioned by its owner, Energy Solutions.
Constellation’s chief generation officer, Bryan Hanson said Unit 1 is in good condition and the restoration will mostly involve typical maintenance work.
Here is a look at the plant’s main control room, the turbine deck that houses the main power generator, and the facility’s iconic cooling towers. For more on the restart click here.
Main control room
The control panel in the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Constellation’s chief generation officer, Bryan Hanson, inside the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Telephones in the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Part of the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Part of the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Turbine deck
Part of the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Part of the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Electrical panels on the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Part of the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
A desk on the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Cooling towers
A detail of two cooling towers at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Power lines and a cooling tower at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Detail of a cooling tower at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Cooling towers at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
— CNBC’s Danielle DeVries contributed to this report.