Polestar has recently introduced the Polestar 2, the successor to the successful hybrid Polestar 1. ALD spoke with Valéry Gresnigt, Head of Marketing & PR at Polestar Netherlands, about the brand, the Polestar 2 and the Dutch market for EVs.
What is Polestar? Where does the name come from?
“Polestar is an independent subsidiary of Volvo. We started out as a racing brand. Like BMW’s M-series and Mercedes’ AMG, Polestar is the in-house tuner for Volvo under the name Polestar Engineered. But now we’ve brought our own premium EVs to the market, with our latest model being the Polestar 2.”
So Polestar operates independently of Volvo?
“We don’t follow Volvo’s day-to-day policies, but we do fall under the same flag. That means we benefit from 90 years of experience in automotive manufacturing, with all of the technical advantages that entails, but it also offers us room to manoeuvre financially.”
So does Volvo have nothing to do with Polestar?
“It’s like this: we’re the best of both worlds, including the economy of scale. We get a lot from Volvo, such as the suspension of the Volvo XC40 that the Polestar 2 is built on, and the back office that we can share. But we’re also a start-up on steroids, which makes us extremely agile. We can implement things very quickly and adapt to the market. We can try things out and then optimise - basically trial and error. That makes Polestar its own brand, with its own identity.”
What is the Polestar identity?
“Polestar stands for Pure, Progressive, Performance. Pure stands for the Swedish minimalist style: ‘avant garde’. You won’t see many chrome ornaments in our cars. We’d rather leave out the unnecessary items. Take a look at this video to see what we mean.”
And what does the ‘progressive’ mean?
“We say ‘seamless integration into your (digital) life’, with digital in parentheses. The integration into your life, that’s what Polestar is all about: I don’t see the car as a way to get from A to B; instead, just as your telephone is a remote control for your life, your car should be built around the user. That’s where we’re headed, and as a real techie I think that’s amazing!”
How does this reflect in the car?
“It starts when you buy a Polestar. You configure and purchase the car online. We don’t have a dealer network; we sell directly to the customer or via the leasing company. From that point on, everything is done via the app: customer care, service & repair, user manuals and product information, but also your personal profile. That makes your Polestar personal. You can use the app to adjust the car as you like. The app also serves as your personal digital key: it automatically unlocks your Polestar when you get close enough. The seat, the mirrors and the HMI (ed: Human Machine Interface, on-board computer) are then adjusted to your personal settings. I’m 1.97 meters tall, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when my girlfriend drives my car and doesn’t re-adjust the seat, so my knees are bent up to my neck when I sit down. That’s now a thing of the past.”
Google
The on-board computer is apparently unique; what can you tell us about that?
“We work together with Google apps & services to develop the HMI. Carmakers all produce their own HMIs, and they usually have some problems. They often have details that make you think: that could have been done better. We’re good at making cars, so we went looking for a party who’s good with software: Google. The Polestar 2 is the first car to use Google Apps & Services, which allows you to operate entertainment, communications and navigation via the 11-inch screen on the dashboard. The system works closely together with your smartphone, regardless of which brand you use. It has a lot of potential, but it’s also very new. That means there are only a few apps available at the moment, but the system is undergoing rapid development.”
You mentioned that ‘digital’ is in parentheses. Why is that?
“In addition to the digital developments, Polestar also stands for sustainability. We strive to build a sustainable future, which starts with a fully electric, and therefore emissions-free, car. But we also use sustainable materials in the production. The mats, for example, are made from a material that is composed of 97% recycled plastic bottles. Our ‘standard model’ features a vegan interior, so it uses no animal products such as leather. We use a material called ‘weave-tech’ for the upholstery. It’s a sturdy material similar to that used in wetsuits, and it’s easy to keep clean. We also recently launched a Precept, which is our manifesto that shows where we’re headed with Polestar. It features head rests made from recycled cork, and an interior made from Bcomp material: a natural composite that allows us to reduce our use of plastic by 80%.”
Performance
The third thing you mentioned was performance. Does that mean the Polestar 2 is a fast car? “
bsolutely, but our goal isn’t to make the fastest car in the world. We make cars that stand out in areas such as performance, handling and driving enjoyment. Polestar introduced itself as a brand with the Polestar 1. That car was meant to show what we could do. It was a hybrid, and a bit of a transitional model to what we’re doing now with the Polestar 2. The Polestar 2 sets the standard for driving experience for the models to come, including the Polestar 3: an aerodynamic performance SUV.”
Polestar 2 specifications
Electric motors: 2 (front and rear axles)
Range: 470 km (WLTP)
Power: 300 kW/408 hp
Storage capacity: 440 litres (front and rear combined)
Dimensions (L/H/W): 4.6/1.48/1.98 meter
Batteries 78kWh in 27 modules
0-100 km/h: in 4.7 seconds
Torque: 660 Nm
Seats: Seating for 5
The EV market in the Netherlands
Finally, what changes do you think are in store for the EV market in the Netherlands?
“When I started at Polestar in 2019, I mainly saw a challenge for the entire market to raise awareness of electric mobility among the consumers. There’s a bit of ‘range anxiety’: the fear that you won’t reach your destination, for example when you go on holiday. But how often do you go on holiday, really? We work together with a partner that offers 195,000 charging stations. You can charge your car to 80% in 40 minutes while you enjoy your lunch. And everyone has to eat lunch, right? Plus, the lease partner ALD Automotive offers a service where you can borrow another car for your holidays. The infrastructure and the way people perceive electric mobility in the Netherlands are changing rapidly. There are more and more electric cars on the roads, and the demand is high, due in part to the still-low additional tax liability. That growth won’t stop anytime soon, and now manufacturers are adapting to the demand for electric cars.”
Would you like to know more about leasing a Polestar?
The Polestar 2 is now available for lease via ALD Automotive. If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact us via e-mail at: info.nl@aldautomotive.com or call us at: +31 (0)20 658 70 00. Our leasing consultants would be happy to talk to you.