Connect with us

News

Polestar 2 gets hit with 2nd recall in a month, this time due to faulty inverters

(Credit: Polestar)

Published

on

Less than a month since issuing a full recall of all Polestar 2 that have been sold, the Sino-Swedish automaker has announced that it is issuing another recall for the all-electric sedan. The recent recall involves the replacement of faulty inverters on most Polestar 2 that have been delivered to customers so far. A total of 4,586 vehicles are affected by the issue. 

The new recall was shared by the EV maker in a press release. According to Polestar, official communication about the recent recall will be sent to affected customers starting next Monday, November 2. The company did not elaborate on issues that may result from the faulty inverters, though the company has noted that the recall relates to the Tesla Model 3 competitor’s High Voltage Coolant Heater (HVCH), which is responsible for the heating of both the cabin and the high-voltage battery. 

Polestar has noted that the hardware fixes for the recall could be completed in a single service visit. Customers affected by the recall would start receiving communication from the EV maker next week, where they will be given instructions on what to do next. Interestingly enough, the company has stated that any undelivered Polestar 2 units would be updated and fixed before they are handed over to customers. Vehicles that are already at the workshop will also be updated accordingly. 

The Sino-Swedish EV company expressed its thanks to its customers in its press release. “We recognize the importance of updating our customers. In order to successfully address the issues, we have needed to ensure that appropriate investigations are made before customers are informed. We appreciate our customers’ patience as we follow the necessary process,” the automaker said. 

Advertisement

Earlier this month, Polestar recalled all 2,189 vehicles that it has sold so far due to a fault in the logic of the Battery Energy Control Module, which could result in the all-electric vehicles suddenly losing power while driving. The company explained the recall in a statement to motoring news agency Car and Driver

“We issued a voluntary safety recall for Polestar 2 after we investigated, verified, and developed a solution for an issue reported by a small number of customers. A fault in the logic of the Battery Energy Control Module requires a manual software update to be rectified. A total of 2189 potentially affected registered customer vehicles in Europe and China are being recalled,” the company noted. 

While speaking at TechCrunch Sessions, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath addressed the first recall of the all-electric Model 3 competitor. According to the CEO, the fault had only happened in “very, very rare cases,” and none of the vehicles that exhibited the issue were involved in an accident. Ingenlath, however, admitted that Polestar still has a lot to learn as it grows and matures. 

“We have many things to learn, and as a company, improve. We are a startup that’s fresh out. And of course, you cannot expect everything to go smoothly. We have to improve, and our customers have to be with us on the way. And I think it’s a really great standard that the car industry, actually, does very early recalls to make sure no one gets into a problem,” he said. 

Advertisement

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

DIY

Tesla owner fixes common feature complaint with crafty DIY retrofit

Published

on

Credit: @mikegapinski

Tesla owners have long griped about the wireless phone charger in the Model Y and other vehicles. It often turns smartphones into miniature ovens rather than reliably topping them up.

Software engineer and Model Y owner Michał Gapiński tackled this issue head-on with a clever DIY upgrade, swapping the cooled wireless charger pad from the China-made Model YL in for the one that came standard in his vehicle.

There are several key differences between the U.S.-built Model Y’s wireless charging pad and the one that Tesla has been installing in the Model YL. The one installed in U.S.-built vehicles lacks active cooling and relies on basic heat dissipation, leading to rapid temperature buildup during charging. In contrast, the Model YL integrates a small fan for active cooling.

This design maintains lower temperatures even in warm ambient conditions, though it does not support faster Qi2 charging on iPhones. The connector matches exactly, making physical swaps feasible on compatible consoles, but coding is required to enable full functionality.

Owners in the U.S. have complained about the wireless charging pad, with many reporting that overheating is fairly common. Within 20 or 30 minutes of placing a phone on the wireless charging pad, many have reported overheating messages on their phones, which halt charging and essentially turn the pad into a fancy place to rest your phone.

Many owners have opted to simply plug their phones into a charging cord. Tesla has acknowledged the problem by releasing several solutions for owners, including a relatively new feature that allows you to simply turn off the charging and simply act as a holder for your phone while driving.

Gapiński said that he sourced the cooled pad affordably from China, and it cost under $200 for the part.

He removed the existing console charger, swapped in the new unit, confirming a perfect connector fit, and handled the trim differences. Since the parameter isn’t fully secured, he enabled it through custom coding outside official Toolbox.

The fan activates quietly, blending with AC and seat cooling. He reported the installation was effective and the wireless charging pad worked perfectly; it even kept the phone cool as it stayed at just 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Many times, the wireless charging pad will bring the phone’s temperature well above 100 degrees, sometimes even being relatively hot to the touch.

This retrofit highlighted an elegant, owner-driven solution to a factory shortcoming. It is expected that Tesla will begin installing the cooled charging pads into new cars in the U.S. soon, and hopefully, it will offer some sort of retrofit service or kit to owners here who want to use the charging pad effectively.

For those who love to tinker, it’s an accessible upgrade, proving that innovation thrives beyond the production line.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla exec says Roadster unveil is soon — for real this time

Published

on

(Credit: teslaindiafansclub/Instagram)

The Tesla Roadster unveiling could be coming “in a few weeks,” according to the company’s Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, who said at the Tesla Takeover Europe Event in Austria that the all-electric hypercar could finally make its way to the production line after years of anticipation.

Von Holzhausen delivered the news just days after The Information reported that Tesla planned to push the Roadster unveiling to August. It was slated for both April and May of this year, but now it seems the company is leaning toward a late Summer event to cap off the heat with perhaps its most anticipated vehicle of all-time.

Franz has been with Tesla since 2008, and has played a pivotal role in the iconic design language the company has utilized with its vehicles. Speaking to the crowd in Austria virtually, von Holzhausen’s comments injected fresh excitement into a project that has been plagued by delays for nine years.

The second-generation Roadster promises to redefine supercar standards. Tesla’s website still highlights ambitious targets: 0-60 mph in under 1.9 seconds (with optional SpaceX thruster pack potentially achieving 1.1 seconds or less), a top speed exceeding 250 mph, and a range of about 620 miles.

Equipped with a tri-motor all-wheel-drive setup delivering over 1,000 horsepower, the four-seater aims to blend blistering acceleration, everyday usability, and innovative features like cold gas thrusters for short-hop capabilities, technology that will combine the project with SpaceX.

But years after the company promised to start production, which was slated for 2020, the timeline for the Roadster has continued to shift.

Tesla has strung along those who have put $50,000 deposits down, as well as fans and enthusiasts of the company who have been long awaiting the company to bring forth a car truly designed for the human driver, and not autonomy. The Roadster is more than just a halo vehicle for Tesla; it showcases the company’s ability to push the boundaries while incorporating synergies from other Musk companies.

However, it has to make it to production, which is something Musk and Co. have pushed back repeatedly.

As Tesla navigates Robotaxi development and broader autonomy goals, the Roadster serves as a reminder of its performance roots. If von Holzhausen’s timeline holds, fans could witness this engineering marvel by late June or early July 2026. Whether a full unveiling, demo, or initial deliveries, it marks a milestone for electric supercars.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Roadster unveiling gets pushed again, but new event details emerge

Published

on

Credit: Dan Burkland

Tesla has reportedly pushed the unveiling of the Roadster once again, but there are also evidently new details about the event that the company plans to show off.

The Information reported this morning that Tesla will now unveil, for the second time, the next-generation Roadster in August, a further delay from the multiple timeline that the company had previously stated.

The report has not been confirmed or denied by Tesla at any capacity.

It also states the unveiling event will take place in Texas, the same place that Tesla executives revealed in May would be the place of manufacture for the company’s highly-anticipated supercar, which boasts a top speed of over 250 MPH and 650 miles of range, according to its website.

Tesla is also expected to showcase the SpaceX package, which will be used for faster acceleration and potentially hovering capabilities, at the unveiling event, the report states. Musk has always planned for this to happen, but now it seems it is more realistic than ever

The Roadster has had its unveiling date and manufacturing date pushed back on many occasions. It was set to start production in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic crippled supply chain operations, forcing Tesla to push its timeline back considerably.

However, COVID has been over for some time, and Tesla has still not managed to successfully schedule and execute an unveiling event, which is something fans and enthusiasts, as well as those who have put down a $50,000 deposit, have been waiting for.

The vehicle was close to completion last year, but Musk truly wanted Lars Moravy and Franz von Holzhausen to push the limits of the Roadster. In July of last year, Moravy said:

“Roadster is definitely in development. We did talk about it last Sunday night. We are gearing up for a super cool demo. It’s going to be mind-blowing; We showed Elon some cool demos last week of the tech we’ve been working on, and he got a little excited.”

It is important to note two things: Tesla has not confirmed these details, and the company has regularly pushed these dates back. Until Tesla sends out formal invitations with a concrete date, taking any unveiling event reports with a grain of salt is a good idea.

Continue Reading