Now You Can Remote-Control Your Polestar EV By Voice

One of the biggest changes we've seen with the move to electric vehicles is the shift to a software-enhanced experience. The features and creature comforts baked into a car's infotainment system were a distinguishing factor, especially in the early days of electrification. Nowadays, it seems like every EV has a connected app with cabin preconditioning, remote control, and even security features. 

Polestar, the company that effectively acts as Volvo's performance EV division, makes some of the more compelling high-performance luxury EVs on the market and also has a companion app that's chock full of features. The Polestar App allows you to remote control the climate on-demand or according to a schedule, unlock the vehicle remotely, and set up profiles that the vehicle will recognize and adapt to. 

Unlike Tesla and BMW — which use proprietary operating systems — Polestar uses Google's Android Automotive OS to power its in-vehicle system. The appeal of Android Automotive is mostly compatibility and interoperability with Google's other products, and having a well-developed framework to build the companion app around. Polestar is taking the connected features in its Polestar 2 and 3 EVs even further, thanks to Android Automotive and the company's partnership with Google. 

On January 5, 2023, Polestar announced two new connected features launching for its EV lineup: remote actions for the Polestar 2 and an updated HD Google map for the Polestar 3. With remote actions in the Polestar 2, owners will be able to control their vehicles with voice commands using Google Assistant devices. Polestar specifically mentions features like unlocking the vehicle, controlling cabin preconditioning, and checking battery and vehicle status, but it also mentioned that other features will be supported. 

Polestar

This should come in handy if you don't feel like hunting your phone down before leaving for work in the morning just so that you can turn on the climate control, or if you're carrying a load of baggage to your car and don't want to have to put it down just to unlock the door. If you have a Polestar 2 and live in the U.S., remote actions will start rolling out immediately via an update, and a wider roll-out is expected over time.

Polestar

Joining the remote actions announcement, Google's new HD map is set to make a world-first appearance in the Polestar 3. The HD map is a more detailed and up-to-date map for both the vehicle's infotainment system and the onboard computer. The new map provides improved recognition of features like lane markings and region-specific road signs. According to Google and Polestar, the increased detail is an essential step in making both driver-assistance and self-driving technology safer.