DECADES ago, when family cars were made in Australia and ran almost exclusively on petrol, my family would take any opportunity possible to make the trek from our north-western suburbs home to visit relatives in far east Gippsland.

With our V8-powered Holden loaded to the gunwales with the extemporaneous flotsam that always seemed to accompany the journey, it was a challenge as to whether the “old girl” could make it from end to end on a single tank of Super.

Spoiler alert, it usually didn’t…

Keep in mind this was a time before Citylink connected Melbourne’s east and west. It was also long before the highway network bypassed many of the outer-eastern towns that are suburbs today – all factors that forced slowdowns and worsened fuel economy.

Fast forward a few decades, and the family holiday looks a lot different. Sure, we still enjoy a weekend road trip, but nowadays it is far more likely we could get to Orbost and back on a single tank of go-juice.

For reference, the trip from home to Orbost is 390km one-way – or 780km return; theoretically 74km less than is possible from the claimed driving range of the new Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor.

And there it is, a segue Sandra Sully would be proud of, and the basis of this trip down memory lane.

Okay, the Polestar 3 might have a bit of an edge over Dad’s trusty (and very rusty) Kingswood. It has heating and a radio for starters; and doesn’t leak when it rains. On this occasion it also won’t be filled to the brim with kids, dogs, clothes, and tools.

Instead, we’ll take the trip with just two adults and a couple of cameras: our plan to drive as normally as possible in long-weekend traffic while using the vehicle’s climate control and clever driver assistance technologies to full advantage.

Rosedale (205km)

After a rather unadventurous exit from the city – and a poignant detour via one of Victoria’s power generation facilities in Yallourn North – we find ourselves in Rosedale, an unremarkable little country town perched alongside the La Trobe River.

It marks the turnoff point to the 90 Mile Beach, and for three young Brogan kids, an opportunity to stretch the legs – and maybe share a bucket of hot chips from the Golden Fleece restaurant.

It was also a spot for Dad to top off the tank…

Depending on the time of day, there was a risk that service stations further along may be closed. Late-night and 24-hour fuel availability was not as common as it is today, and with that 4.2-litre engine sculling leaded petrol at the rate of a Sherman tank, running dry was a very real risk.

For the Polestar 3, there was no such alarm; and as nice as a bucket of hot chips might have been, we elected to press on, noting an average energy consumption figure of 18.9kWh per 100km as we passed what was the Golden Fleece.

To this point, we’d travelled exclusively on multi-lane roads. Average speeds were good for a long-weekend Friday, the vehicle’s advanced driver technologies assisting sweetly in keeping with the flow of traffic.

With the La Trobe Valley falling away behind us, we head northward briefly, bisecting the farmlands of Sale and Stratford before turning east again towards Bairnsdale.

This long, narrow section of road gives us a taste for what’s ahead for the next hour or more. There are no more dual carriageways, and fewer opportunities to overtake. It also offered time to consider the powertrain working quietly beneath us.

No rhythmic eight-cylinder soundtrack here, and no pulsating whine from the diff’. Instead, the Polestar 3 LRSM is wonderfully hushed, a whisper of wind from the wing mirrors and a light hum from the tyres the only aural reminder we’re cruising at 100km/h.

Drawing from an 111kWh (gross) lithium-ion battery, the 220kW/490Nm permanent magnet motor feels settled into a silent stride. Energy draw is stable, and remaining range sufficient for the planned route ahead.

Bairnsdale (299km)

From Bairnsdale, the road climbs steadily, skirting Mount Taylor as it traces the inland route via Sarsfield and Bruthen. The former Bruthen-Nowa Nowa Road (now the C620) was once a heavily forested, roller coaster of a trip with sharp descents and lengthy climbs.

It was realigned and significantly reprofiled at the turn of the millennium to divert freight traffic around Lakes Entrance; and though no longer as wild as it once was, is still a challenge to economic driving – and a sufficient contrast to the journey so far.

As we cross the Fainting Range the Polestar’s energy use peaks and throughs, the downhill grades offering an opportunity to recuperate some of our losses as we descend toward Boggy Creek and its picturesque gorge.

It’s here we reflect on some of the technical differences that separate the Polestar 3 Single Motor from its Dual Motor counterpart.

Interestingly, the former is 176kg lighter with most of that weight lifted from the front axle (there is no front motor, after all). The deletion of the vehicle’s clutch-based torque vectoring system on the rear axle also contributes.

While it’s arguably a small amount of weight in a vehicle that tips the scale at considerable 2470kg (kerb), it is significant enough to shift the balance of the LRSM rearward, front-to-rear weight distribution now 47:53 instead of 50:50.

The Polestar 3 LRSM also uses a different suspension arrangement to that of its more powerful sibling, with steel springs and Frequency Selective Dampers replacing the Dual Motor’s air suspended setup. Interestingly, it’s still a decent ride.

Orbost (390km)

Changing environmental values have seen Orbost shrink from the bustling farming and forestry centre it once was.

Like many country towns, Orbost is quieter now; with vacant shops, and just one remaining pub. There’s no longer a local Ford and Holden dealership, choice of petrol stations, or a variety of banks. But there is an EV charging station. Progress, I guess…

After a handful of detours for photography, we cross the mighty Snowy River with 120km remaining (indicating an overall single-charge range of 540km is possible), the combination of steady highway speeds and rolling hills taking its toll on the range of the Polestar 3 LRSM.

WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) testing combines four varied assessment cycles of 30 minutes over 23.25km and at an average speed of 46.5km/h to simulate average use in mixed conditions.

Of course, like any laboratory test, it’s a procedure that is significantly impacted when faced with higher constant speeds. On an extended highway run a motor must consume more power to overcome tyre friction and aerodynamic drag, regardless of whether its electric or otherwise.

“Based on testing in the standardised WLTP driving cycle, (the) Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor uses between 17.6 and 20.3kWh per 100km,” explained a spokesperson for Polestar Australia.

“As is the case with any vehicle, real-world consumption varies based on many factors such as the vehicle’s load, weather, driving style, speed, and traffic.”

Of course, the Polestar 3 has several other tricks up its sleeve in countering not only energy consumption, but aerodynamic forces as well.

Integrated aero elements at the front and rear of the car work together to enhance handling, efficiency, and stability, the intriguing front aero wing helping to ‘attach’ air to the bonnet, reducing pressure accumulation and improving air flow.

At the rear, the aero wing increases downforce to improve stability, while the associated rear aero wing ensures air exits the vehicle smoothly, minimising rotating air turbulence like wing tips on a passenger jet.

The Polestar 3 also boasts a clean-finished sides with recessed door handles and flush-finished glass. This smoothened profile helps air ‘cling’ to the body of the vehicle as it passes, further reducing run-off turbulence and, as a bonus, wind noise.

Second verse, same as the first…?

With insufficient range to make it to the next serviceable public charging station – the next nearest unit being marked as out of order – we elected to recharge the Polestar 3 before heading on our way.

After taking an eternity to recharge to 77 per cent – thanks to a queue of long-weekend travellers and a single 50kW outlet – we recommenced our journey, retracing the hills and valleys first to Bairnsdale, the onto Sale, and Traralgon with much the same result as before.

Though the weather had been kind to energy consumption thus far, a heavy storm dampened our hopes of an energy efficient return to base, literally. The lights of the La Trobe Valley were now almost lost in heavy rain as the Polestar’s LED beams, rain-sensing wipers, and diligent demister worked to maintain a clear view of the road ahead.

With these systems now drawing power from the same source as the traction motor, the efficiency of our progress diminished, the energy indicator showing a 20.1kWh/100km average now as we detoured for one last top up.

Moe proved a helpful next stop in adding the range required to get us home – though like many EV charging stations we’ve encountered across the country, the RACV-branded chargers were found without shelter or light, the darkened public conveniences and soaking wet car park; a stark contrast to the clean and inviting amenities offered in that long-gone Golden Fleece roadhouse.

Still, with a very useful 150kW rate of charge adding precious range, we were thankful to be back on the road in mere minutes and headed for home.

The weather didn’t let up, but neither did the Polestar 3; and with our journey over we were impressed by the overall result. Polestar’s highway range claim was rather easy to achieve, indicating that a theoretical 706km of driving should be possible in the right conditions.

It’s a marvellous achievement when you consider how inefficient a journey like this once was.

Sure, there were more econmical modes of transport available if you had the means, but for most working-class Aussies the road trip of yesteryear was quite like that which I recall – and a long way removed from the Polestar 3 can manage today.

In a few short decades we’ve moved from large capacity petrol engines through to turbocharging, hybridisation, and now electric power. It’s a shift that is incredible to watch unfold and one that certainly makes you wonder what a road trip to Orbost might look like in years to come.

Comparative specification data (just for fun):