Written by Cláudio Afonso | info@claudio-afonso.com
The Swedish EV maker Polestar has revealed today a new concept car, the hard-top convertible named Polestar O2 that has autonomous cinematic drone integrated. By 2023, the company plans to be available in an aggregate of 30 markets. The models are currently manufactured in two facilities in China, with additional future manufacturing planned in the USA.
Maximilian Missoni, Polestar’s Head of Design, says: “Polestar O2 is our vision of a new era for sports cars. 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 driving experience in the Polestar O2 is designed to be lively, light and full of confidence. Predictability and playfulness are core to exciting, spirited driving. Tight body control, high rigidity and intuitive dynamics are inherent benefits of the bespoke bonded aluminum platform, which is adapted from the Polestar 5, developed in-house by Polestar’s R&D team in the UK.
In a world increasingly driven by social media, the Polestar O2 features an autonomous cinematic drone integrated behind the rear seats. Developed in collaboration with Aerofugia’s consumer electronics brand Hoco Flow, the concept drone can be deployed while the car is moving, to record the perfect driving sequence. Check out how it works here:
Polestar engineers have developed a specialized aerofoil that raises behind the rear seats to create a calm area of negative pressure that allows the drone to take off when the car is on the move. The drone operates autonomously, automatically following the car at speeds up to 56 mph (90 km/h), and the driver can choose between an atmospheric sequence – great for a coastline cruise – or a more action-filled sequence with a sportier expression. After filming, the drone can autonomously return to the car. Video clips can be edited and shared directly from the 15-inch center display when the car is parked.
“We wanted to emphasize the experience you can have with a car like the Polestar O2 in new and unusual ways,” continues Maximilian Missoni. “Integrating an autonomous cinematic drone was something that allowed us to push the boundaries on the innovation front. Not needing to stop and off-load the drone before filming, but rather deploying it at speed, is a key benefit to this innovative design.”
Polestar O2 is the hero car for our brand. 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. It looks incredible, and being able to lower the roof and not hear an engine promises a superb sensation.
Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO
Polestar intends to list on the Nasdaq in a proposed business combination with Gores Guggenheim, Inc., which is expected to close in the first half of 2022.
Polestar sold 384 units of its Polestar 2 being the third best selling model in Norway during February. In 2021, Polestar’s luxury sedan was the 10th most popular car model in the Scandinavian country, the one with the highest EV adoption.
During February, the company had its first-ever Super Bowl commercial which, according to EDO, was 23x more effective than the median Super Bowl LVl ad airing. The commercial was initially leaked by our site some hours before the event and reached 55,000 views during the first 4 days.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | info@claudio-afonso.com