Tag Archives: polestar

Polestar Passion-Sharer car concept can display any sky in its cramped cabin

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There are plenty of visions and concepts of self-driving cars in the distant future. Some of them retain the conventional seating arrangement inside, just without the steering wheel and with plenty of touch screens. Others turn all seats inward, inviting conversations and social connections while the robot inside the car safely takes you to your destination. There might be times, however, when you just want to sit back and relax, enjoying the skies while coasting the future’s highways. In that future, you might not even have to be limited to your own location and gaze upon the starry skies of Tokyo on your way to work in New York.

Designer: Xiqiao Wang

The majority of futuristic car concepts seem to be content with decking the dashboard and windows with screens, some of them interactive even. These utilize almost all visible sides of the car’s interior to maximize the number of things people can see and touch. Strangely enough, all these visions leave out the roof of the cabin plain and boring, almost like they were stuck in the 2000s, a limitation that this Passion-Sharer self-driving car wants to break free from.

Although mostly inspired by Polestar’s Precept in terms of the basic aesthetic, this concept almost takes the language to the extreme and squashes the car almost to a box. The Passion-Sharer has sharper lines and edges than a typical car, and its lowered cabin makes you wonder if there’s even space for human passengers.

The secret is that the seats are actually reclined so far back that they’re almost horizontal, an angle that is more associated with sleeping rather than riding a car. This odd position is all for the purpose of having a clear view of the tinted roof that acts as the only literal window to the outside world. Most of the time, however, the Passion-Sharer’s passengers will be viewing someone else’s sky, or at least that’s the idea.

The “sky screen,” as it is called, can display real-time views of another Passion-Sharer owner’s sky, which would make it feel like they’re sharing the same sky. That does require that there are other car owners in transit during that time, though it’s entirely possible to simply have recorded footage for convenience. Of course, that touch screen interface can be used for other purposes, and it might be the only interface available in this car anyway.

To some extent, this Polestar-inspired Passion-Sharer carries a lot more safety risks than other self-driving car concepts. Given the inclined seats and lack of other direct controls, it would be almost impossible for humans to intervene in case of an emergency. It is a concept that requires autonomous driving technologies to be perfected before people can peacefully enjoy a serene sky without minding the heavy traffic in front of them.

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The Polestar O2 EV and its autonomous drone will fundamentally change the meaning of ‘driving’

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The wind in your hair, a cinematic birds-eye shot of you in the car, ‘Can We Skip To The Good Part’ playing in the background, millions of likes on TikTok. That’s pretty much the core design brief of Polestar’s new electric vehicle, the O2, which comes with its own autonomous drone that can film you as you drive down an empty highway.

The prime objective of a car, for as long as cars have existed, has been to get you safely and speedily from point A. to B. One could argue that my previous sentence may be a bit of an oversimplification, although even something as niche as a racing car does just that – takes you from A to B while keeping the rider safe. Sure, there are a few outliers, some cars are designed to put you in the lap of luxury, other cars are status symbols, some cars/automobiles have more niche functions (tractors, steamrollers, etc.), and some concept cars exist only to showcase a company’s innovative spirit… however, almost every commonplace car’s main objective has been transportation… up until now.

The Polestar O2 capitalizes on a rising trend that’s been set by self-driving cars. Sure, the O2 isn’t a self-driving concept, but just the way self-driving cars have redefined what sitting inside an automobile means (you’re not a passenger anymore – you’re a traveler in a moving room), the O2 has shifted the focus from driving to ‘enjoying driving’. The Polestar O2, announced just today, isn’t your average EV… it’s an EV that wants you to be in the driver’s seat as well as the director’s seat. The car comes with a companion drone stashed in its boot that deploys on command, filming you from flattering angles so that you’re quite literally the star of your own Fast and Furious film. Is it sensible? It may be too soon to say. Is it intriguing? Overwhelmingly.

Designer: Polestar

The O2 is quite like Polestar’s Precept from back in 2020. It’s clearly announced as a concept car with no foreseeable future of being manufactured. The Volvo-owned company does, however, want to use this opportunity to drum up excitement for EVs and bring a new dimension of thrill to riding a car (Ford launched a gasoline-scented perfume to that very end last year). Having a drone following you around as you drive has its own appeal – it’s a wonderful cinematographic tool that really brings a new meaning to a car’s ‘performance’, while at the same time providing a nifty new trick for people who want to see what a videogame-style ‘third-person view’ would actually look like while driving.

The car sports Polestar’s signature edgy-yet-friendly language (automotive brutalism, if you will) and is based on a bespoke aluminum platform that’s adapted from the one developed for the upcoming Polestar 5 automobile. There’s really no word on what the car’s specs are, understandable given its conceptual nature, however, Polestar’s retained its old practice of focusing on sustainability with the O2. The car’s seats are made from a fabric woven using recycled polyester, and different grades of aluminum used throughout the chassis are meticulously labeled to make them easier to segregate during recycling.

Now onto the car’s standout feature – that autonomous cameraman that sits in its boot. The rear of the O2 houses a ‘cinematic’ drone developed in collaboration with Hoco Flow that can be deployed even while the car’s in motion. This aforementioned drone can follow your car at speeds of up to 56mph and has multiple flight modes to choose from, including a certain ‘atmospheric’ mode that’s perfect for when you’ve got the top down and a scenic open road ahead. Footage recorded on the drone can then be viewed and edited on the O2’s massive infotainment display, unlocking an incredibly exciting new realm of possibilities for passionate drivers, content creators, and even influencers. Cinematic Carpool Karaoke a la Polestar O2? Well, I’d certainly love to see that happen…

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Polestar’s emergency vehicle uses autonomous drone technology to respond to catastrophe

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Polestar Duo is an itinerant vehicle that merges autonomous drone technology with a hybrid modular building to provide emergency relief.

In the age of COVID-19, one thing’s for certain—the need for autonomous, mobile emergency services is more urgent than ever before. When faced with unprecedented crises, dwindling resources make it hard to respond with tact. Considering the modern world’s technological advantage, innovative task forces and emergency services should be made readily available to help prevent catastrophe.

Designer: Marcelo Aguiar

Marcelo Aguiar, Chief Automotive Designer at electric car startup UNITI Sweden, recently devised a concept for a vehicle that blends autonomous drone technology with a hybrid modular building to create an accessible means to respond to any disaster.

Designed for the Polestar Design Competition, Aguiar’s Polestar Duo appears like a multifunctional shipping container that travels via drone technology.

Aguiar conceptualizes Polestar Duo to be flexible, adaptable, and itinerant, to be able to “perform in a variety of scenarios adopting different functions: it can work as a rescue vehicle, be used as pop-up structure or temporary accommodation, provide support in humanitarian crisis situations, be a mobile off-grid home to enable a more itinerant lifestyle.”

Equipped with a wind turbine, the Polestar Duo operates from a pair of back-driven propellers with wings that swivel to the optimal position considering the given day’s weather and wind conditions. Before taking flight, Polestar Duo’s wings unfold by rotating along their axes.

The integrated drone technology carries Polestar Duo’s Pod, which functions as the hybrid modular building, by attaching the Pod’s roof to the drone’s base. In difficult access scenarios, Polestar Duo deploys high-strength tethers that suspend the Pod from the drone’s base.

Merging today’s appeal to sustainable design with autonomous technology, the vehicle’s overall carbon footprint remains low due to the use of recycled and lightweight building materials, re-adaptability, and local power generation. Aguiar goes on to explain that, “this reduces the load on available resources while building, and becoming, a versatile infrastructure to support societal progress.”

Twin wings unfold at Polestar Duo’s axes to take flight. 

When idle, Polestar Duo’s wings fold up.

Polestar Duo is comprised of two main parts: the drone and the folding quadcopter.

The Pod attaches to the drone’s base for secure transportation.

In difficult access scenarios, the Pod suspends from the drone’s quadcopter via high-strength tethers. 

Outside of emergency services, Polestar Duo can be used as temporary living accommodations. 

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This futuristic Polestar automotive design is the solution to every modern nomad’s wanderlust!

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Polestar is a futuristic, luxury travel concept designed out of the modern nomad’s need for unrestricted traveling and socializing.

While COVID-19 is still making its rounds, from the pandemic, we’ve learned that time spent in nature and connecting with other humans are priorities of everyday life. Holed up in our tiny apartments, all we want is to kick down the door and run to the nearest lakeshore or mountaintop.

With travel restrictions making it near impossible to come and go as we please, designers have worked on solutions for autonomous travel. 21-year-old designer Kang Sik Park conceptualized an aerial automobile that can also float on water to bring groups of people to faraway places where they can take in nature and enjoy a futuristic concept of vacation.

Dubbed Polestar, Kang Sik Park envisioned their futuristic automobile dressed in an optic white aluminum-like facade, which is accented with strips of sleek black metal for a refined touch. Symmetrical on all sides, the exterior of Polestar is used to represent connectivity and the coming together of humans for a shared interest.

Hover blades slide out from the vehicle’s roof to lift Polestar off the ground into the air. Additionally, Park equipped Polestar with progressive technology such as GPS and facial recognition to help modernize the airborne vehicle.

Inside, the same sleek look is maintained and can transform into a warmer, golden-hour-soaked ambiance to appeal to each user’s changing tastes. The Polestar is outfitted with contemporary amenities that are sure to please the modern traveler, such as rotating lounge chairs, food and drink services, as well as panoramic windows to provide plenty of views of the natural world.

Designer: Kang Sik Park

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This Polestar-inspired aircraft mobility design features a built-in greenhouse to resolve deforestation issues!

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The Polestar Forest Air Mobility concept is an aircraft concept from Pan Ziheng that has its own greenhouse to work in an environmental solution for modern deforestation issues while bridging a human need for mobility with today’s COVID-19 health and safety concerns.

Social distancing is one of the many ‘new normals’ we’ve incorporated into our daily lives as a result of the pandemic. But while coffee lines enforce the six-foot rule, aircraft and public transportation services are now back to programmed scheduling, stuffing each vehicle wall-to-wall with passengers. To strike a balance between the natural need for mobility and travel with today’s health and social distancing concerns, Pan Ziheng developed a futuristic Forest Air Mobility concept that also attempts to tie in environmental solutions for modern deforestation issues.

Pan Ziheng’s Forest Air Mobility concept envisions separate capsules for two individual passengers aboard the aircraft. Each personal cabin is stationed far enough away from one another so that the aircraft’s passengers do not cross paths. Pan Ziheng felt inspired to conceptualize their Forest Air Mobility concept design after recognizing the parallels between humans comprising a society and trees forming a forest. Describing their concept design in their own words, Pan Ziheng says, “Just like trees, human beings need to live together to be a functional society just like forests. However, at the same time, we need our personal space. [My] forest concept wants to provide a solution to this problem: public air transportation where we can travel together yet can still have a personal space.”

Conceptualized around a forest called Polestar Forest, Pan Ziheng ideated that their aircraft would host a greenhouse that grows saplings to be planted in the Polestar Forest, enlarging its forested acreage and providing timber resources for the larger Polestar community. The carbon dioxide captured by the aircraft’s battery would filter through a carbon transfer tube to feed the plants inside the aircraft’s built-in greenhouse and store any excess. In time, the Polestar Forest would stand as an emblem for the Polestar community, representing core sustainable values.

Designer: Pan Ziheng

Each passenger’s vessel is kept at a safe distance from one another to ensure responsible social distancing between aircraft personnel.

A carbon dioxide transfer tube stores and converts carbon dioxide to feed the plant life inside the greenhouse. The vertical rise of the Polestar Forest Air Mobility Concept is futuristic in and of itself.

The Polestar ‘Trambus’ concept is a road/rail hybrid designed to make public transport modular

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Just like a train adds extra carriages when it’s running on high-capacity, the Polestar Trambus can expand in length to allow more passengers during an exceptionally busy day.

The idea for the Trambus comes from Seoul-based transportation design student Junghyun Kim, who developed the design as an entry into the 2021 Polestar Design Contest. Instead of putting more buses on the road during rush hour, Kim envisioned a modular bus system that could just allow you to expand a single existing bus by joining more buses to it, creating a road-rail hybrid that allowed you to transport people in an organized manner.

The buses operate autonomously, which makes them perfect for creating a modular system. The Trambus operates either as independent buses that house 25 passengers or as an interconnected set of 2 or 3 buses with a capacity of 50 or 75 passengers respectively. Each module is connected to another using a flexible bellow-shaped channel – quite like the one found on trains, although it’s unclear if passengers can move between carriages. The carriages are designed to be different on the insides too, with seated layouts for regular customers, table-layouts for long commutes or first-class customers, and empty carriages for people on wheelchairs or commuters with bicycles.

Designer: Junghyun Kim

This flying Polestar RV is a lounge cabin designed to meet their futuristic outdoor camping needs!

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eVTOLsare the future of airborne mobility as the commutable land spaces get more constricted due to the rising number of vehicles on the road. While most startups and big corporations design eVTOLs focusing on passenger movement, seasoned automotive designer Marcelo Aguiar goes a step beyond the rationale – mustering up a concept recreational vehicle of the future that’s not just about transporting people. It is more about socializing with close ones while heading to the next destination in utmost comfort.

Marcelo calls his concept of a flying RV as the Polestar Air.V – obviously inspired by the Polestar’s inherent design language. The boxy exterior is certainly proof of that. According to the designer, the concept has a protective shell encapsulating the airy cabin that lets natural light inside from the “front, sides, and skylight that completes the silhouette.” The futuristic RV is more or less an aerial lounge cabin powered by four technologically advanced micro-reactors, like that of a smaller quadcopter. How the aerodynamics will affect the edgy skeletal of the flying vehicle is a question for another day, but I believe it could use more of the Polestar’s sleek design. While on the ground stationary – the flying RV retracts the wings for a very minimalistic forest cabin-like character.

On the inside, Polestar Air.V has a lounge section, kitchen, small bedroom, washroom, and a balcony access area. A control station with two pilot seats inspired by the Eames Lounge Chair is used to steer the flying RV. In flight mode, the chairs (at an elevated position) face the window having control panels, and as soon as it is time to land on the ground, the chairs swivel around the base to meet the lounge area. Marcelo’s RV flying vehicle concept is immaculate and instills a sense of excitement for flying vehicles’ future in totality.

Designer: Marcelo Aguiar

Spotify’s shared playlist queue feature expands to Polestar 2 vehicles

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Last year, Spotify started beta testing Group Sessions. It's a feature that allows up to six people to share control over the music playing in the background of a physical or virtual get-together. Those involved can queue up songs,...