A Polestar 3 has set a new Guinness World Record after traveling a monumental 935.51 km on a single charge. Shout out to the—no doubt—iron-clad bladders of its drivers.
Sorry, iron-clad bladders of its ‘professional efficiency’ drivers Sam Clarke, Kevin Booker, and Richard Parker, who, between them, drove the Long Range Single Motor Polestar for 22 hours and 57 minutes to set a record for the longest journey traveled by an electric SUV.
The trio’s odyssey began near Norwich, England, and took in 935km of “mostly flat A and B roads,” as well as the odd divided highway, through ‘mixed’ weather conditions. They switched over every three hours for reasons that are obvious, and drove a very standard Polestar 3 on 20-inch Michelin EV tires. The effort was adjudicated by Guinness World Records judge Paulina Sapinska.
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Apparently, the 3 hit its WLTP figure of 704.9km with 20% battery remaining. Indeed, at 0%, the team did another 12.9km—the classic ‘fuel light bingo’ but for a modern age—before stopping at a charger. It ended up recording 8.26km/kWh.
“Since we first started setting records, we have noticed how much more driving it is taking to achieve them,” said Clarke. “While we aim to push the car to the limits, the car is also pushing us to our limits.”
“There’s always jeopardy, and our attempt could have been hampered by the adverse weather conditions and traffic we experienced,” Booker added. “There was a lot of standing water during part of the day, meaning more resistance from the tires and lower efficiency.
“But, finishing up on 0% at nearly one o’clock in the morning knowing we’d beaten previous records was a fantastic feeling!”
Parker said: “After the rain subsided, we had a few more challenges on our hands, including some interest from the local constabulary! When they realized our official attempt was ultra-efficiency, and they had wished us good luck—we were back on track and getting into our routine of driving shifts until a last-minute road closure near Melton Mowbray was an additional test for us to face.
“It was another proof point that the record isn’t just down to the driver, but also the passenger—quick-thinking co-pilot navigation was just as vital as battery management for this attempt.”
More photos of the Polestar 3 winning its Guinness World Record:
NOTE: This story first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
