Polestar will spend Run an ambitious electric vehicle introduction schedule over the next three years, culminating in the Precept concept, a kind of “Rosetta Stone” that physically represents the company’s future.
Polestar, the former Volvo company that has developed into its own brand, calls the concept a “Manifesto”. In other words, the Precept, which will go into production as the Polestar 5, tells consumers and possible shareholders what the EV automaker wants to be.
We will spend the next few years further straying from its Volvo roots and its own brand, Greg Hembrough, CEO of Polestar USA, told TechCrunch in an interview at a company presentation in New York. During the presentation, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, along with other members of the automaker’s executive team, presented a plan to expand into new markets, increase sales tenfold, and bring three new cars to market in the process. This ambitious plan is based on the company’s core values of design, sustainability and innovation.
The way so far
In 1996, Polestar was introduced to the world as a racing company selling and developing performance software for Volvo Cars. Tied closely from the start, the union became official in 2011 when Polestar became a Performance Partner, giving Volvo vehicles enhanced sporting properties. It was completely taken over by the Volvo Car Group in 2015. Shortly thereafter, it was spun off as its own brand and produced its first car, the first and only hybrid Polestar 1 in 2017 and the full-fledged EV Polestar 2 in 2019.
Between the two models, Polestar has sold around 29,000 vehicles, with the four-door EV Polestar 2 dominating the majority of those sales. It is currently the only Polestar in full swing as limited production of the Polestar 1 was recently completed and the upcoming Polestar 3 SUV is expected to be launched in 2022.
Future design
From the start, the Precept aims to convey as much as possible of the Polestar tenets, of which luxury and performance are most important. It’s also key to Polestar’s brand identity by making it different from its sibling brand and making it something unique.
“I believe that when people look at Polestar 1 and Polestar 2, they continue to see some of the DNA of one of our sibling companies,” Hembrough told TechCrunch. “The intention of the Precept was to give you not only a hint of our future design language, but also a clear indicator of elements that you will see from a design and sustainability perspective. These things are now much bigger than just a wish list, these are things that are actually put into production. “
With that in mind, the business part of the precept begins to tell a story. The resemblance to the Volvo family is starting to fade in favor of a more pronounced, distinctive look. The sibling brand’s distinctive “Thor’s Hammer” headlights are now “Dual Blades” and appear to physically, if not symbolically, split the original design in half.
Credit: Alex Kalogianni
The “Shark Nose” cover has other subtleties, such as the lack of a scrap skeleton for the engine cooling, which has been replaced by the “SmartZone” sensor suite. This contains a collection of radar transmitters and cameras that are intended for improved advanced driver assistance system functions and effectively switch to a “seeing” face instead of a “breathing” one.
There’s also a front aerofoil, a wing built into the front that improves airflow. “That looks great too, of course,” added Ingenlath enthusiastically at the event.
Credit: Alex Kalogianni
innovation
When it comes to tech, Polestar has a full record. There are the fun things like the ambition to have their vehicles have some level of automated highway control, but it’s debatable when the cars don’t outperform the competition.
Under the surface of the Precept there is an aluminum architecture that points to the sporty foundations of the Polestar 5. The Grand Tourer will have an electrical system based on the one that will be built into the Polestar 3 and will have Nvidia computing built in. Its engine will be the “P10”, a 450-kilowatt unit under development that the company wants to make with around 603 hp one of the most powerful on the market. This is connected to an 800-volt battery pack, which can be converted to 400 depending on the charging infrastructure and also supports bidirectional charging.
Credit: Alex Kalogianni
Hembrough says that by focusing on the user experience with so much focus, Polestar is staying on the right track. “We started development very early on with the Polestar 2, as we are the first company with an Android automotive operating system with embedded Google services. Over-the-air software updates are provided monthly for customer vehicles and there is a surprise and delight with everything from a web browser to games to a video player.
“We’re starting to take it to the next level very quickly with the Polestar 3, and as stated in the Precept, things like eye tracking are a convenience but also a safety option. UX will continue to be part of this innovation, but we will never stray from security, ”he added.
sustainability
Great attention was paid to the topic of sustainability, with the focus on reducing CO2 emissions, if not completely neutralizing them from production.
Polestar has announced its intention to: a fully CO2-neutral vehicle by 2030. Nor is it a self-tapping act, but a conversation in which customers are also actively involved.
“When you look back, five or ten years ago, I think this is one of the last things consumers would talk about, but the world has changed so dramatically, these are all things that consumers are very aware of and who they ask for, ”said Hembrough.
Credit: Alex Kalogianni
The proclamation of the “Polestar 0” project aroused urgency in the company; the planned methods vary in scope. Inside the Precept, new and innovative materials such as carbon-fiber-like bio-composite components made from flax play a role. The seats are made of recycled PES plastic. It’s a fabric already used in the fashion and footwear worlds and one of the ways Polestar seeks to differentiate itself from the old ways of making automobiles. “These things are not just slogans, they are our core,” said Hembrough.
Aside from innovative materials, Polestar will use carbon capture technologies to meet its goals of increasing transparency within its supply chain level and insisting on improved supplier practices.
After 2025
Despite these bold efforts, it only scratches the surface of Polestar’s intentions.
The automaker aims to produce a completely carbon neutral car by 2030, but what happens after that? Planning a course this far into the future really means sailing into the unknown, and even Polestar admits that time will tell if those efforts are enough to make a difference. It has another goal – to become a fully carbon neutral company by 2040 – that will guide many, if not all, of its decisions over the next 18 years.
