Polestar 2 continues its role of spearheading the introduction and development of new technologies for the Volvo Car Group. It is the first fully electric vehicle to be crash tested, the first to feature new Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) technology, and the first to be fitted with new front-inner-side airbags within the Group.
Jointly owned by Volvo Car Group and its parent company Geely, the Polestar teams in Sweden (headquarters) and China (production base) are already making significant waves within the EV and technological space, but at its heart the team is all about safety and innovation in that space.
“Safety is of paramount importance for Polestar,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer of Polestar.
“We are directly linked to Volvo Cars and with that comes their famous reputation for outstanding safety technology. So of course, Polestar cars are designed to be amongst the safest in the world and we are really proud of that.”
Protecting the battery pack of an EV in the event of a collision is crucial. Enclosed in an aluminium case for both protection and rigidity, the battery pack is fully housed within the floor structure of the CMA platform. This approach not only reduces the risk of damage and stiffens the body structure, but also protects occupants by keeping the battery intact in the event of a collision.
To improve safety at slow speeds, Polestar 2 features unique and specially developed external sounds as part of its acoustic warning system. Designed to be recognisable, non-intrusive and natural-sounding, the Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) has been engineered according to very specific parameters, with a pending patent.
“We deliberately did not want Polestar 2 to sound like a robot or symphonic spaceship,” comments Thomas Ingenlath. “We wanted very natural, subtle sounds that simply let pedestrians know the car is moving. At the same time, we wanted Polestar 2 to sound slightly unique and become identifiable as a Polestar, while remaining relatively simple.”
Sound engineers have paid specific attention to the positioning of the external speakers to ensure the way the sound is radiated from the vehicle both complies with legal requirements and ensures a comfortable experience for both pedestrians and vehicle occupants.
Polestar 2 also features inner-side airbags fitted to the front seats. These new airbags, which are standard fitment in all markets, add an extra layer of protection for the inner limbs of the front occupants who are now individually protected from both sides, as well as from the front.
Detection systems for other vehicles in front, behind and in the blind spots of the car, as well as pedestrians and cyclists ahead of the car, are all coupled to steering assistance and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) to help ensure that interactions between other road users and Polestar 2 are kept as safe as possible at all times.
