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Electric car development and production continues at pace, even while there still remain questions around the environmental effectiveness of these cars when viewed against the potential deficits involved in the manufacturing processes.
The Swedish automaker, has given some insights on Precept, the car with which its Polestar division envisions its future.
The car was created to showcase three key areas for the Swedish brand: sustainability, digital technology and design. Following its digital reveal in February, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath now takes a look at Precept in detail, and in reality, in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The name Precept was chosen to emphasise the vehicle’s role in setting out Polestar’s intent as the contemporary electric performance brand. A precept is a manifesto of things to come; a declaration. The car signifies an important milestone for Polestar as a standalone brand, describing a unique design philosophy that remains firmly embedded in Polestar’s brand values: pure, progressive and performance.
“People ask me all the time, ‘what is the future of Polestar’ and, of course, we are not showing our future models just yet,” sayss Ingenlath. “But Precept shows you where we will be heading – our design direction, our ambitions about sustainability and the great digital user experience we will bring with those future cars.
“Precept showcases our future, not as a fancy dream or something out of a sci-fi movie. This is our reality, to come.”
Sustainability
- Precept interior shows how high-tech, sustainable materials used together in the right combination can create a new luxury design language
- Vegan interior with high levels of recycled content, building on the vegan foundations presented by Polestar 2
- Polestar works together with with Bcomp to integrate flax-based natural composite which has been used extensively to replace many virgin plastics
- Composite material reduces interior component weight by 50% with an 80% reduction in plastic
- Proprietary powerRibs™ technology from Bcomp is inspired by leaf veins, offering rigidity with low weight
- Bcomp’s ampliTex composite material is strengthened by the powerRibs to create strong and rigid componentry which can reduce vibrations by up to 250% and perform better during an impact
- The seat covers are 3D-knitted from 100% recycled PET bottles in a single thread – made exactly to size with no waste or off-cuts
- Recycled plastic bottles are also used for the 100% recycled headlining textile
- The ECONYL carpets are woven from Nylon 6, recovered from reclaimed fishing nets
- Waste and recycled cork from the wine industry is converted into cork-based vinyl for seat bolsters and head rests
Digital technology
- Evolution of the Android-powered infotainment system first found in Polestar 2
- Large 15-inch digital interface recognises the driver upon approach, with settings and personal content authenticated by the Polestar Digital Key
- Google Assistant evolves with advanced speech technology in more languages with better local dialect interpretation and more personalised experiences
- Video streaming services will become available when parked or charging
- Proximity sensors adjust what is shown on the screen depending on where the user’s hand is placed – display brightness and screen content adjusts according to movements and the need for more or less information depending on what the user is doing
- 9-inch horizontal driver display contains vital information and is linked to eye tracking
- Eye tracking monitors where the driver is looking and adjusts the way information is presented – smaller and more detailed when the driver is focused on the display, and larger, brighter, vital information when focused on the road
- Google Maps and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) are now merged into one system for safer manoeuvres and more accurate predictions based on traffic conditions, and shown together in one combined graphic in the driver display
Design
- A distinct direction for Polestar design language characterised by restrained yet powerful surfacing and aerodynamic efficiency
- Polestar Design evolves to take sustainability and technology as sources of inspiration instead of looking back at historical automotive references
- Precept is a proof point of how avant-garde design and perfect proportions can create a new aesthetic for the electric age
- Front wing, integrated into the bonnet, improves air flow by reducing turbulence over the rest of the body – important for increasing EV range
- Air ducts behind the front wheels allow air to exit the wheelhouses and contribute to a more laminar flow around the side of the car
- Air ducts in front of- and behind the rear wheels contribute to brake cooling as well as wheelhouse depressurisation
- 22-inch performance wheels are forged and machined, and feature aerodynamic inserts
- Thor’s hammer front light signature now split along the horizontal edge, an evolution of the signature in a more robotic, Polestar style
- Welcome and farewell light sequences are inspired by astronomical events, starting in a burst of light from the centre of the car which radiates outwards
- From breathing to seeing: SmartZone replaces the traditional front grille with elements required for Pilot Assist including long- and mid-range radar units, ultrasonic sensors and a high-definition wide-angle camera – a natural placement for this technology in the digital age
- Additional SmartZones on either side of the car house additional driving assistance sensors
- Roof-mounted LIDAR pod positioned for superior visibility for future advanced driving technology
- Play between high-gloss and matt surfaces – within one colour or switching between materials; a distinct lack of chrome
- Sensor- and lighting technologies, as well as high tech materials, which are celebrated through careful design execution, serve as a new set of premium details that move away from using stereotypes such as chrome, leather and wood
- Graphics are minimalistic, in a Polestar execution – technical descriptions and precise expressions
- LED side markers on the C-pillars indicate charging status
- Front splitter, side sills and rear valence in Bcomp natural composite echo interior panels
- Flush door handles as well as flush integration of the glasshouse – removing all air flow disturbances
- Slim waist and powerful hips; aerodynamic tapering of the cabin
- Doors open wide for easy access; rear doors are rear-hinged
- Long wheelbase accommodates high battery capacity and lots of interior space despite low roof line – batteries are purposefully placed beneath the floor without intruding into the rear passenger footwells, much like Polestar 2
- Rear legroom is given high priority, akin to that of larger luxury tourers, and matched by expansive headroom and a panoramic view
- A precise, diamond cut crystal houses a holographic projection of the Polestar emblem, placed between the rear seat headrests as a symbol of the brand’s role as a guiding star in a new execution; an inscription on the crystal shows the precise astronomical position of the polar star
- Rear signature features precise and geometric lighting with a soft, sculptural body shape
- Absence of rear window allows for the traditional rear roof beam to be moved further rearwards for an extended, single-volume glass roof and better head room – as well as a larger, deeper tailgate opening with a roof-mounted hinge
- Rear camera and side cameras feed digital interior mirrors
- Full-width tail lights with vertical air blades complete the aerodynamic design, allowing for cleaner air flow off the vehicle surface
