Polestar 2

Make
Polestar
Segment
Sedan

The Polestar electric vehicle brand, which is co-owned by Volvo and its corporate parent Geely, is issuing its second recall in a month, affecting the roughly 4,600 Polestar 2 electric sedans it has delivered so far. But unlike the first recall, which was issued October 2 and only affects the car's software, this new recall actually involves physical components.

In a statement, Polestar said the recall "involves the replacement of faulty inverters on most delivered customer vehicles." The inverter is the part responsible for transforming stored electrical energy from the battery into usable power for the electric drive motor.

Needless to say, losing your inverter in the middle of a drive is less than ideal. The first Polestar 2 recall was a bit less severe, involving a software glitch that affected fewer than 2,200 cars worldwide, and could cause affected cars to lose power suddenly during normal operation. However, as of this writing, the issue hasn't been linked to any injuries.

At the same time, Polestar issued a service campaign related to the 2's High Voltage Coolant Heater, or "HVCH" - the system responsible for heating both the cabin and the high-voltage battery, affecting some 3,150 early vehicles.

This isn't an especially good look for the fledgling premium EV brand, especially as it attempts to make inroads in the North American market.

Polestar 2 deliveries haven't yet started in the US, but while the company says deliveries here won't be affected, the 2's teething issues could prompt some US buyers to lose confidence in the brand.

But then, teething issues should always be expected with any relatively young automotive enterprise, and it's worth noting that the Polestar 2 is only the company's second product since reinventing itself as an EV brand in mid-2017; previously, it was a motorsports engineering firm and race team.

Focusing on the positive after the first recall earlier this month, the company looked to the recall as a chance to prove its customer service. CEO Thomas Ingenlath told the media "we are a startup that's fresh out. And of course, you cannot expect everything to go smoothly."