Polestar 3

What does it mean to design an SUV for the electric age? Which elements should be retained, and which should be removed? For Polestar, technology is an integral part of its vehicles and needs to be integrated without compromising on its minimalist design aesthetic. Likewise, a sense of space in the cabin needs to be achieved without resorting to traditional ‘upright’ SUV designs. However, space often comes at the expense of size and weight, and therefore, environmental impact. To reduce this impact, existing sustainable solutions should be implemented, and emerging solutions would need to be found.

Polestar 3 reinterprets the SUV - it preserves the stance, ground clearance, and higher seating position, but establishes a new design formula for a new age. The graphic elements around the car showcase new technology, while the use of contrast works to visually reduce the vehicle’s mass. Space is achieved by retaining interior length and width, but by removing excess height for a more aerodynamic roofline that speaks to the car’s performance characteristics. The total cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of Polestar 3 is lower than that of the smaller Polestar 2 when it was launched in 2020, which is an exceptional outcome.

Polestar was founded to accelerate the shift to sustainable, electric mobility. From its use of sustainable materials, to transparency in its supply chain, and renewable energy use in production, Polestar 3 takes another step towards climate neutrality. In particular, the use of Blockchain shines a light on the supply chain of risk metals and helps avoid corruption and human rights issues. The environmental footprint of Polestar 3 is shared via Polestar’s lifecycle assessment report, which transparently shares the methodology. This is to provide other brands with a roadmap. With collective action, the industry can accelerate decarbonisation.

The exterior design of Polestar 3 combines sculpted surfaces, minimalistic details, and optimised aerodynamics for a new, technical form. Integrated aerodynamic elements enhance handling and efficiency. The front and rear aero wings direct the airflow over the car, reducing drag and increasing downforce and stability to improve real world range. Frameless door mirrors, featuring a glass-to-edge design, allows for a 30% smaller mirror housing that optimises the driver’s view and contributes to greater efficiency. Visually, the ‘Dual Blade’ daylight signature is housed in a module featuring a 1.3-megapixel High-Definition headlamp – like 1.3 million mirrors each smaller than the diameter of a human hair – for exceptionally intelligent illumination. In the past, cars had radiators to cool down their engines. It led to the face of cars being dominated by large grilles, which only celebrated the inefficiency of combustion engines. Polestar 3 changes this paradigm from ‘breathing’ to ‘seeing’, replacing the grille with the SmartZone - an area which clusters cameras, radars, and sensors. To ensure optimum functionality of the technology in all weather conditions we included cleaning devices and brought heating wires for ice and snow to the surface to visually celebrate the technology.