As the Polestar 2 – the first all-electric car from the Swedish brand – is launched, we speak with head of design Maximilian Missoni about how the innovative vehicle marries beautiful Scandinavian design with highly advanced technology
PolestarThe principles of Scandinavian design famously marry functionality and beauty, prioritising a cool minimalism that is somehow timelessly modern. Consumers the world over covet the Scandinavian aesthetic, across the realms of fashion, interiors, art and technology. When you take into consideration that the average person drives 18 miles each day, it makes sense that a company like Polestar – the innovative, all-electric sub-brand of automotive behemoth Volvo – would turn to such principles in developing its range of electric vehicles. Scandinavian design has naturally been at the heart of Volvo since its inception in Sweden in 1927; Polestar ensures this storied design ethos is imagined anew for the 21st century.
Enter Polestar 2: the company’s newest car, its first all-electric model. “Polestar 2 is actually a modern, more digital, interpretation of what I think of as classic Scandinavian design,” says Maximilian Missoni, Polestar’s head of design. “It takes that minimalist purity and natural material choice and applies a modern overlay. You can see that in the use of recycled materials.” Such materials include vegan finishings and panels crafted from repurposed wood throughout the car’s interiors.
Polestar 2 allows drivers today to make low-impact choices (the all-electric vehicle, of course, produces no carbon dioxide; Volvo itself has announced that all vehicles launched from 2019 onwards will be electric or hybrid) that are nonetheless still rooted in timeless and desirable designs. “We used a vegan alternative to leather because we wanted to see what was possible, to help develop new materials that have a lower impact on the environment, and challenge ourselves,” Missoni continues. “It’s a first step, and it certainly isn’t the last.”
In terms of aesthetics, Polestar 2 offers three suggested options (and endless customising options beyond), each inspired by a different city and its distinctive visual language: Shanghai, Berlin and London. The three cities have all long been associated with innovation and creativity, albeit in highly unique ways. “The interior fabric surfaces are inspired by durable sportswear, and have a clean and timeless aspect,” says Missoni. Gold accents (the golden seatbelt strap is a Polestar signature), a white exterior and dark ash interiors make up the Shanghai model; Berlin prioritises grey both inside and out; and London, appropriately pictured on the Polestar site in the rain, is sleek black with barley interiors.
Turning the traditions of buying a car on its head, Polestar 2 is exclusively available online and goes into production in early 2020. “The rules of car design have changed with electrification, and may change further as vehicles become even more connected and more autonomous,” says Missoni. Ultimately, Polestar aims to instigate change and offer options for the design-, environment-, and technology-conscious driver. “My role as a car designer remains to create engaging and innovative profiles and features that are both beautiful and functional,” Missoni concludes. “At Polestar we have more latitude than most traditional manufacturers, and I hope to take those ideas and concepts further into production, and accelerate change.”
Discover Polestar 2 here.
