With the unveiling of the Polestar O2 Concept roadster Wednesday, the new Swedish-based, Chinese-owned electric automaker owned by Volvo Cars and Geely Holding Group, suddenly got a lot more interesting.
“Polestar O2 is the hero car for our brand,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “It opens the door to our secret chamber of future potential. This is a taste of what we can design and engineer with the talent and technology we have in-house.”
The new model employs an aluminum platform that also underpins the Polestar Precept concept, which will become the production Polestar 5 flagship, and with which the O2 Concept shares much of its good looks.
Polestar’s current state of affairs
The concept debuts as the Polestar 1 is discontinued for 2022 after a limited three-year production run. While the gas-electric hybrid GT brought the neophyte brand attention, its Volvo-derived looks and gas engine seemed out of synch with the brand’s newer models, which have their own distinct brand identity as an EV brand, despite its origins as Volvo’s high-performance sub-brand.
That was most clearly seen with the release of the dual motor Polestar 2 in 2020, followed by the Polestar 2 Single Motor last year. Two more crossover SUVs are expected to follow.
The first, the Polestar 3, is scheduled to launch later this year, and will the brand’s first model to be built at a plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina, near Charleston. It will share the assembly line with the Volvo S60 and the next-generation XC90. It will be followed in 2023 by the Polestar 4, a coupe-like BEV expected to take on the likes of the upcoming Porsche Macan EV.
Reaffirming Polestar’s new design language
“Polestar O2 is our vision of a new era for sports cars,” said Maximilian Missoni, Polestar’s Head of Design. “By mixing the joy of open top driving with the purity of electric mobility, it unlocks a new mix of emotions in a car. But as with all our cars, we are about more than just straight-line sprints. It’s when you turn the steering wheel that the true fun begins.”
The Polestar 02’s bonded aluminum platform was developed in-house by Polestar’s R&D team in the United Kingdom and engineered for high strength and light weight. This should enhance its handling, with the company stating the new concept delivers little body roll in corners and good damping, along with linear steering feel. Since this platform is derived from the forthcoming Polestar 5, it promises much for the forthcoming flagship.
But the O2 Concept differs from the 5 with its 2+2 cabin. As with any classic sports car, it possesses a long wheelbase and short overhangs. But don’t be fooled; that long wheelbase was employed for more than its looks. It also allows Polestar to fit the car with a large battery pack.
“This car is a meeting point between technology and art, between precision and sculpture, with a determined but not aggressive stance,” said Missoni.
The inside story
Being a battery-electric vehicle, and the eco-friendly image such a driveline enjoys, it’s little surprise it uses a new thermoplastic throughout its interior. The recycled polyester is used for all the cabin’s soft components, including its foam, knit fiber and laminated elements. Engineers also use high grade aluminum throughout to ease recycling when the vehicle is scrapped.
The O2 Concept’s most unusual feature is its autonomous cinematic drone located behind the rear seats that can follow the car at speeds up to 56 mph.
Its videos can be shared in the O2’s 15-inch touchscreen once the car is parked. While such frivolities are expected in a concept car, it could easily become an option should the O2 Concept enter production.
“We wanted to emphasize the experience you can have with a car like the Polestar O2 in new and unusual ways,” said Missoni. “Integrating an autonomous cinematic drone was something that allowed us to push the boundaries on the innovation front.”
Polestar states that it plans to launch three new cars through 2025, any of which could contain some of the 02 Concept’s features.
Before that occurs, however, look for Polestar to list on the Nasdaq in the first half of 2022 in combination with special purpose acquisition company Gores Guggenheim.
