Swedish performance car brand Polestar claims its latest concept is one that will help to “redefine sports roadsters for the electric age”.
The O2 is an electric roadster that represents Polestar’s “vision of open-top performance and a thrilling driving experience with all the benefits of electric mobility”.
Adopting a 2 plus 2 seating configuration, the concept sits on the same aluminium platform that has been developed in-house by the marque’s UK R&D team and underpins the Polestar 5.
Thomas Ingenlath, the CEO of Polestar, said the O2 gave clues to the future direction of the brand. “It opens the door to our secret chamber of future potential,” he said.
“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.”
Battery-powered cars are known for their straight-line speed but tend to lack the dynamic sparkle of their combustion-powered cousins. However, the O2 promises to excel in both departments, engineers guaranteeing “high roll damping, agile, direct steering feel with great steering torque build-up”.
No information on the O2’s electric motors’ power or battery size have been released, and the company is remaining light lipped about charging times. The sleek shape of the car is a deliberate one, though, with the “aerodynamics manipulated to maximise range”.
Maximum efficiency has been achieved thanks to disguised design features like integrated ducts that improve air flow over the wheels and along the sides of the car, while the tail-lights double up as ‘air blades’ to reduce turbulence at the rear.
Inside the Polestar O2, recycled polyester is the sole material used for all the key touch points of the interior. Therefore, foam, adhesive, knitted fibres and non-woven lamination all appear.
The company says this approach “simplifies recycling and is a significant step towards greater circularity, while also reducing weight and waste” and further demonstrates designers’ opposition to downcycling.
One other standout feature is the O2’s Hoco Flow-developed autonomous drone that can be deployed to record driving sequences. Operational at speeds up to 56mph, an aerofoil behind the rear seats raises when the roof has been dropped to create a calm area of negative pressure that allows it to be launched.
