Polestar has etched its name into the record books, with a standard version of the 3 covering 935.44 kilometers on a single charge, claiming the Guinness World Record for the longest distance driven by an electric SUV without recharging. Sedans like the Lucid Air or the Mercedes EQS covered even more distance in the past.
The record-setting run was achieved in a Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor, the most efficient variant of the premium midsize SUV. Equipped with a single rear-mounted motor producing 299 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque, the vehicle draws power from a 111-kWh battery pack shared across the lineup.
The model’s official range stands at 706 kilometers, but throughout the nearly 23-hour drive, the Polestar 3 exceeded that figure by almost 200 kilometers. That’s an improvement of almost 30%.
No downhill benefit
The attempt began at 2:00 a.m. local time, taking advantage of low traffic and cooler conditions. Professional drivers Sam Clarke, Kevin Booker, and Richard Parker rotated behind the wheel every three hours, stopping only for driver swaps and brief breaks.
Favorable road conditions in Norfolk — generally flat and smooth — helped maximize range, although intermittent rain briefly hampered efficiency. On average, the heavy SUV achieved an average consumption of 12.1 kWh per 100 kilometers. Record attempts for the range usually start on top of mountains to benefit from downhill energy recuperation, but that was not the case here.
Notably, the Polestar 3 reached the above-mentioned WLTP-rated range with 20% of its battery capacity remaining. Even after the display indicated a zero range, the SUV covered an additional 12.8 kilometers before arriving at a charger. The production-standard vehicle was equipped with 20-inch wheels and Michelin Sport 4 EV tires, and no modifications were made for the record attempt.
‘Setting new standards’
Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller hailed the achievement as a milestone for the brand: “We are very proud to say we have a world record holder in the Polestar family. This official Guinness World Record for range is another proof point that Polestar 3 is setting new standards. We will continue to push the boundaries of technology and electric performance.”
While Polestar celebrates its new accolade, competition looms. Chevrolet, which did not file for an official Guinness World Record, took its Chevrolet Silverado EV to 1,705 kilometers – the longest distance ever covered with a battery-powered vehicle – only last week. However, that journey took three days, as the engineers deployed excessively low speeds of 30 km/hour. Polestar needed 22 hours to complete the record.
Lucid holds the overall EV range record, with its Air Grand Touring sedan reaching 1,205 kilometers, surpassing the previous Guinness World Record set by the Mercedes EQS at 1,045 kilometers. As these records all took place within a one-year timeframe, the range race is heating up.
