Polestar 4 Long Range Dual Motor as a tow car

[Beachball]

Can’t you change the time period , or stop nodding off😂

Might have to take it to dealer and check not sure how to change the the time period but i hope there a easy fix

 

[AndrewAventura]

I am in agreement with you on lane assist but my other hate on my car, driver fatique it comes on after ten mins on road

If your carbon monoxide alarm has been trying to wake you up, and now your car is trying to as well, maybe you are too relaxed these days? If your fridge starts beeping at you as well, then I'd be concerned.

 

[Buckman]

Here are the official Government figures for UK energy issued in September 2025 that are pretty conclusive in that renewable electric generation exceeds fossil fuel electric generation.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68da654349e17d00a56ffb5a/Energy_Trends_September_2025.pdf

No one is disputing that, but why do we have to pay for the wind farms to go into stand by and at other times pay for old power stations to be fired up.

I think you may be ignoring the fact that the gas fired generation stations are also paid extremely high rates when wind/solar have insufficient output, plus there are no longer any “ old power stations” to fire up other than DRAX on its dubious wood chip boilers !

How can I be ignoring the fact when it was me that mentioned it?

How does it work? Most country lanes I know have no white lines so no "lanes" as such.

Exactly my point as it still tries to operate. Sometimes it twitches you towards the verge and at other times towards oncoming traffic. On a motorway with white lines, it is even worse! In my opinion if a driver needs all these gadgets, then maybe they should not be on the roads?

 

[RogerL]

No one is disputing that, but why do we have to pay for the wind farms to go into stand by and at other times pay for old power stations to be fired up.

There aren't any old power stations left - the last coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, closed over a year ago

 

[otherclive]

How does it work? Most country lanes I know have no white lines so no "lanes" as such.

They can pick up verges. My daughter was commenting that along one lane the verge was cut back during resurfacing. Now when she drives down that road her MG 3 picks up on the edge of the the tarmac and squeaks away, giving a gentle vibratory push to the right, and the road is not edged in white paint either.

 

[Buckman]

There aren't any old power stations left - the last coal-fired power station, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, closed over a year ago

Nuclear, gas etc are all "old" power stations, but maybe I should have used the term "mothballed" power stations. I must admit coal fire power stations ever even crossed my mind.

They can pick up verges. My daughter was commenting that along one lane the verge was cut back during resurfacing. Now when she drives down that road her MG 3 picks up on the edge of the the tarmac and squeaks away, giving a gentle vibratory push to the right, and the road is not edged in white paint either.

It does pick up verges, but cannot understand why it twitches towards the verge. A lot of country roads can be twisty even A roads so no fun when the car brakes unexpectedly in a bend. When doing my advanced driving course we were taught to slow down slightly before a bend and then accelerate through a bend and not to brake in a bend. Common sense really.

 

[otherclive]

No one is disputing that, but why do we have to pay for the wind farms to go into stand by and at other times pay for old power stations to be fired up.

How can I be ignoring the fact when it was me that mentioned it?

Exactly my point as it still tries to operate. Sometimes it twitches you towards the verge and at other times towards oncoming traffic. On a motorway with white lines, it is even worse! In my opinion if a driver needs all these gadgets, then maybe they should not be on the roads?

At #19 you mentioned that cheap electric comes from fossil fuels. But as U.K. has no coal stations and the only fossil fuelled ones are gas with gas being priced at global prices how can it be cheap, especially when some gas stations are paid very high tariffs when meeting peak demand for short periods. It’s the price of the gas that impacts the prices for wind and solar output. But as more energy storage comes on line the need to pay very high short term tariffs to gas stations should reduce.

But one thing I don’t see is how HMG is going to loop £300 off the average bill by 2029. Delighted if they do, but without seeing any definitive plan I remain “sceptical of Wiltshire”

 

[Tobes]

Great car and write up, but not so brilliant when you take into account that electric still comes from fossil fuel and last year tax payers paid over £1 billion for wind farms to be shut down adding to the cost of a kwh. Never mind that thousands of people have been put out of work adding to the benefits bill.

Thanks!
The statement that electricity comes from fossil fuel is either not nuanced enough or outdated. Here is the current generation profile for the UK.
Curtailment costs do occur, but are tiny when compared to the cost of electricity associated with gas.

 

[Tobes]

Excellent script Tobes. Thanks for all the details. Like you my son avoids MSAs like the plague!
People like Instavolt I understand are build new charging stations daily with easy drive in drive our access.Hopefully making life easier for the EV Caravanner
Your Polestar sounds an absolute powerful beast.

Does it have a more conventional, less distracting dash board display?
Is it true there is no rear windscreen, just a camera?

Thanks DD. The dash is fully digital, but can be modified to choose what you see. You can have it as a simple speed readout and next direction, or with a map, or with a visualisation of traffic around you. That is separate to the centre console.

It does in deed have no rear screen, but has an HD camera and display where the mirror is. It works extremely well IMHO, and I am already used to it. That give the option to move the rear roof bar a long way back making the rear seats incredibly spacious and open.

 

[Tobes]

You are correct, but cheap electric still comes from fossil fuel and very expensive electric from renewables. Why do they have to pay over £1 billion for wind farms to be shut down and the then at other times pay millions for old power stations to be fired up as no wind or sun? It is the consumer paying the cost.

Because there is so much wind power available today, the wholesale price of electricity on the grid has plunged to below zero. As a result, Octopus have just given us 2 hours of free electricity. Two loads of washing, charged 3 cars a combined total of 32kWh (about 100 miles), heated the hot water tank, and topped up the house battery. And it's all happening again for an hour tomorrow at 11am to noon.
This is all because of the low cost of renewables (wind in this case) and something you would never find with fossil fuel.

 

[Buckman]

Thanks!
The statement that electricity comes from fossil fuel is either not nuanced enough or outdated. Here is the current generation profile for the UK.
Curtailment costs do occur, but are tiny when compared to the cost of electricity associated with gas.

Whichever way you look at it some electric still comes from fossil fuel especially when there is no wind or solar. No one can get around or dispute the fact that at present trying to go net zero is destroying the country in more than one way! What is the point of trying to go net zero when pollution comes in from other sources out of our control? Agreed that we should protect the environment, but why destroy the environment at the same time with solar panels and wind farms neither of which help produce food? Surely a goal should be to become self sufficient in food before trying to go for a net zero goal myth?

 

[otherclive]

In towns and cities UK pollution levels are falling, as they are in our neighbouring countries. But there is still a long way to go, but as electric vehicle numbers increase that will help further. But don't forget tyres and brakes also cause particulate pollution, but here incraed electric vehicles usage with regentarive braking will help to reduce pollution.

UK is 63% self sufficient in food and that figure has been stable for the last decade, but on shore solar or wind were minimal 10 years ago so they really cannot be blamed. The last time Britain was self sufficient was reckoned to be the early Bronze Age.

 

[borderbilly]

Because there is so much wind power available today, the wholesale price of electricity on the grid has plunged to below zero. As a result, Octopus have just given us 2 hours of free electricity. Two loads of washing, charged 3 cars a combined total of 32kWh (about 100 miles), heated the hot water tank, and topped up the house battery. And it's all happening again for an hour tomorrow at 11am to noon.
This is all because of the low cost of renewables (wind in this case) and something you would never find with fossil fuel.

Scottish power gives us 1/2 price leccy, Saturday and Sunday 11-4.

 

[Buckman]

In towns and cities UK pollution levels are falling, as they are in our neighbouring countries.

Of course they are falling as it is cheaper and easier to use out of town shopping centres. We very seldom go into town and cannot remember when last we shopped in the High Street.

 

[Dustydog]

Scottish power gives us 1/2 price leccy, Saturday and Sunday 11-4.

Is that when you are at the Kirk😉

 

[otherclive]

Of course they are falling as it is cheaper and easier to use out of town shopping centres. We very seldom go into town and cannot remember when last we shopped in the High Street.

Truly, out of town shopping centres have been around for many years, and still town and city pollution levels were increasing. Even a relatively recent one at Cribbs Causeway near Bristol is 27 years old. Many others are even older. The reduction in urban pollution's is mostly down to LEZs, cleaner vehicles and increased use of electric vehicles.

 

[otherclive]

Scottish power gives us 1/2 price leccy, Saturday and Sunday 11-4.

We get regular cheap periods from British Gas for half price electricity usage. Problem being that the washing machine gets put on when my wife deems it necessary not when energy is cheaper. But we rarely use the tumble drier using dehumidifier in a bathroom, which in winter when the heating is on is very effective. plus I get demin screen wash water too.

 

[borderbilly]

Is that when you are at the Kirk😉

Awa ye gan ya sassanach 🏴‍☠️

 

[Buckman]

Truly, out of town shopping centres have been around for many years, and still town and city pollution levels were increasing. Even a relatively recent one at Cribbs Causeway near Bristol is 27 years old. Many others are even older. The reduction in urban pollution's is mostly down to LEZs, cleaner vehicles and increased use of electric vehicles.

Of course that is correct, but 27 years ago there was not such thing as LEZ where it costs you and arm and a leg to enter. Shop out of town, no charges and free parking. High Street shops end up closing so more people out of work and on benefits. Very sad but that is the reality. In addition, because shops close the council loses council tax and to recoup that loss, the cost of council tax on residential buildings increases more than inflation. A sad vicious circle.

 

[RogerL]

Of course that is correct, but 27 years ago there was not such thing as LEZ where it costs you and arm and a leg to enter. Shop out of town, no charges and free parking. High Street shops end up closing so more people out of work and on benefits. Very sad but that is the reality. In addition, because shops close the council loses council tax and to recoup that loss, the cost of council tax on residential buildings increases more than inflation. A sad vicious circle.

I don't know about other cities but I've seen no evidence that Birmingham is less congested than it used to be, either because of out-of-town shopping or it's ULEZ - but the air is a lot less polluted in recent years - that's not the closure of industry as that's long gone.

Do councils lose council tax? The shops on new out-of-town sites still have to pay business rates.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Whichever way you look at it some electric still comes from fossil fuel especially when there is no wind or solar. No one can get around or dispute the fact that at present trying to go net zero is destroying the country in more than one way! What is the point of trying to go net zero when pollution comes in from other sources out of our control? Agreed that we should protect the environment, but why destroy the environment at the same time with solar panels and wind farms neither of which help produce food? Surely a goal should be to become self sufficient in food before trying to go for a net zero goal myth?

No one is saying there isn't any power derived from fossil fuels, you are the one that claimed in #9 that "electric still comes from fossil fuel" You made it seem all eclectic generation still relied on fossil fuel. On numerous occasions in previous threads and now including this one evidence has been posted that shows your statement and position is untrue!

You also make the argument that trying to achieve net zero is destroying the country, yet you have not provided any reliable evidence of how that is the case.

Its nice that you agree we should protect the environment, yet you consistently berate the renewables industry for the comparatively small amount of waste materials and insignificant amounts of pollution it produces whilst conveniently ignore the vast disparity between the amount of pollution created by the prospecting, drilling/mining, extracting transporting refining storage distribution and finally burning fossil fuels who have added many more times the amount of waste and pollution just to produce convenient fuels since the start of the industrial revolution, and continue to do so at an increasing rate even today.

The installation and use of solar panels and wind turbines, does not "destroy the environment". The damage is minimal and In most cases the ground between solar arrays and wind turbines can be farmed or put to other good use. The changes are easily reversible, and does not poison the land with chemicals or cause land slip subsidence like mineral extraction does.

I agree the target for Net Zero is difficult, but that is not a reason to abandon the search for more sustainable futures. But there's nothing like a dire need to become the mother of invention, so challenging improvement targets should still be set.

Please check your facts before posting.

 

[Dustydog]

I thought we had buried these “Green “ debates 🙀

Sadly there are no free lunches.

Production of Lithium , for example,is a very dirty polluting process. But we in the U.K. get the benefit. NIMBY.

Is Lithium Mining Bad For The Environment? Stats And Facts

Discover the environmental dilemma of lithium mining, which is essential for green tech but has significant environmental impacts, including water depletion and pollution.

www.greenmatch.co.uk

I thought we all reached an agreement ages ago that the real problem with “Green”,is trying to do too much too soon. But it is good we look after the environment. And so we should as long as everyone can afford it.

Affordability for the populous is a major issue.
I don’t like the Green Levy I pay on my electric bill.
Will the cost go down? I doubt it.

Lest we forget , rather than become self supporting with North Sea Fossil fuels , we buy lots from India who we all know but it in from the Bear😉

I honestly believe by 2050 Green will be a reality but I am not convinced the costs will be good for most.
Why can’t we be the 2nd cheapest for electricity rather than the 2nd most expensive👏
I’m ducking out . But whoever has the answer for 2030 may well,become a multi millionaire 🤪

 

[otherclive]

I thought we had buried these “Green “ debates 🙀

Sadly there are no free lunches.

Production of Lithium , for example,is a very dirty polluting process. But we in the U.K. get the benefit. NIMBY.

Is Lithium Mining Bad For The Environment? Stats And Facts

Discover the environmental dilemma of lithium mining, which is essential for green tech but has significant environmental impacts, including water depletion and pollution.

www.greenmatch.co.uk

I thought we all reached an agreement ages ago that the real problem with “Green”,is trying to do too much too soon. But it is good we look after the environment. And so we should as long as everyone can afford it.

Affordability for the populous is a major issue.
I don’t like the Green Levy I pay on my electric bill.
Will the cost go down? I doubt it.

Lest we forget , rather than become self supporting with North Sea Fossil fuels , we buy lots from India who we all know but it in from the Bear😉

I honestly believe by 2050 Green will be a reality but I am not convinced the costs will be good for most.
Why can’t we be the 2nd cheapest for electricity rather than the 2nd most expensive👏
I’m ducking out . But whoever has the answer for 2030 may well,become a multi millionaire 🤪

It's recognised that the North Sea has peaked its production in the UK areas, and with oil being sold on global markets how can uk become self sufficient in oil/gas? Nationalisation perhaps? That went down well in Venezuela. A link below shows the future assessment for the UK economic waters.

Also the amount of product imported from India was" so large" it did not even feature in the Top 20 of the 2024 statistics for UK imports. The majority of our oil came from the USA and Norway as shown in the second link. What we get from India tends to be to be refined product mainly aviation fuel, and yes much is Russian derived. Why don't we stop it? Because its cheaper than other sources, we don't have the refining capacity in UK, and what about the UK-India recent trade deal?

North Sea gas unable to meet national heating needs from 2027

Official data shows UK gas production will fall below heating demand by 2027. By 2050, 94% of gas will be imported.

www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk

UK oil imports by country 2024| Statista

Where does the UK get its oil from? In 2024, the UK imported oil from more than 20 countries with the United States and Norway among the main sources.

www.statista.com

 

[Dustydog]

we don't have the refining capacity in UK, and what about the UK-India recent trade deal?

we did and someone closed a big part of it. Another due to be closed may gain a reprieve?? Under debate now.
Whatever we think the fact remains our power costs still rank second most expensive ! Why? 😉