It’s about design, but not only design
As we enter into 2023, the homogenization of the new energy vehicle market seems to have intensified. Regardless of the vehicle type, whether it be a microcar or a luxury car, there appears to be few differences in either design or functionality. With ubiquitous features such as seamless headlights, multi-screen cockpit configurations, and similar intelligent cockpit functions, it can be challenging to find an interesting, well-designed, and personalized model.
Considering the new vehicle models set to be delivered in 2023, although Cybertruck will unfortunately not be available in China, BMW iX seems like a good option. However, today we would like to focus on Polestar 3.
As the first SUV model of the Polestar brand, Polestar 3’s design philosophy is all about refining and improving the aesthetics.
SUV models are deeply loved by people worldwide‒even Ferrari had to accept this reality. After all, just think of the sales record that their neighboring competitor, Lamborghini Urus, set‒it is natural to feel envious. So, in 2022, Ferrari launched the Purosangue. However, they are still reluctant to accept the SUV, defining the Purosangue as an “FUV” (Ferrari Utility Vehicle).
What are the advantages of city SUVs? Simply put, they offer better mobility, greater visibility, more space and a greater sense of security. However, a larger car size means higher energy consumption, a higher ground clearance results in a longer suspension travel, and weaker handling.
The first step in the design of Polestar 3 is to reduce its height. In terms of data, Polestar 3’s height is only 1,627mm, lying between that of Purosangue (1,589 mm) and Urus (1,638 mm). Of course, you may not have a concept of these two cars. The height of Tesla Model Y is 1,624mm, which is very similar to that of Polestar 3. On the other hand, the general height of mid- to large-sized SUVs in the same class as Polestar 3 is over 1,700mm.
The first advantage of reducing the height is to improve the vehicle’s cruising range. One of the ways to effectively improve the cruising range of an electric vehicle is to reduce air resistance. In addition to the commonly used drag coefficient, the frontal area is also an important factor affecting air resistance. A lower car body naturally has a smaller frontal area, thereby reducing the impact of air resistance on cruising range.In terms of design, the lower body and smooth body lines make the Ta look more sporty, enhanced by 22-inch forged wheels, the Volvo XC40 Recharge’s side profile looks extremely comfortable.
Of course, lowering the body is not simply a matter of “cutting off”. The XC40 Recharge’s interior has been redesigned, with seats that are more inclined and a lower dashboard height. This means that the overall ride height is lowered, which ensures the advantages of a lower body height, as well as driving visibility and ride comfort of an SUV.
Ride comfort is also a top priority for the XC40 Recharge. Therefore, it is designed with a 5-seat layout instead of a 6/7-seat layout. As a large five-seat model with a wheelbase of 2985 mm, good legroom can be expected in the rear.
In addition to providing more space, the longer wheelbase also allows the XC40 Recharge to accommodate a large 111 kWh battery, ensuring convenience for long-distance travel.
In addition, the sharp design details and powerful posture make everyone know that this is a Volvo. The T-shaped daytime running lights on the front face are still very familiar. The new “SmartZone” design replaces the traditional grille with a heated millimeter-wave radar and a camera, which will also become Volvo’s future signature design language.
The tail design of the Volvo XC40 Recharge has become my favorite place. The simple lines, coupled with the C-shaped taillights, are simple and atmospheric. If we look at the design elements alone, the tail of the XC40 Recharge is somewhat similar to that of the Porsche Macan designed by the Porsche team. But as shown in the figure below, when the two cars are placed together, the difference in appearance is clear. Perhaps this is the Nordic design interpretation of “Pure and Clean”.
The design elements of the Polestar 3 look plain and ordinary, without complex lines and surfaces, but they integrate so seamlessly on one car. Simple ≠ Lack of Details. The flush side window design, frameless rearview mirror, “semi-hidden” door handles, and front and rear air deflectors complement each other, further integrating aesthetics, aerodynamics, and practicality in the Polestar 3.
Remember the design considerations of the Polestar 3 mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph? Forget the drawbacks. The lower body of the Polestar 3 was not built on the sacrifice of off-road performance, visibility, and space. A graceful, low-lying, low-energy-consumption, yet comfortable and practical five-seater SUV was born – the Polestar 3.
New technology, new luxury experience
▎How could Polestar 3, as a SUV crafted by Polestar, lack handling performance?
The skateboard-style battery pack brings a lower vehicle center of gravity and higher torsional rigidity, allowing electric vehicles to have better handling performance than fuel vehicles of the same level. For the Polestar 3, the vehicle center of gravity is almost the same as that of the two-door coupe Polestar 1. At the same time, the blessing of dual motors allows the Polestar 3’s front and rear weight ratio to reach 50:50. These are the innate advantages of electric vehicles, and what follows is the blessing from technology.
The Polestar 3’s rear wheels are equipped with the TVDC torque vector control system, which controls the torque between the left and right rear wheels separately. In simple terms, it improves the agility of the vehicle at low speeds and provides stability at high speeds. After all, the front and rear dual motors of the Polestar 3 can output a maximum torque of 910 N·m and cannot be wasted.
In addition, we cannot miss the double-chamber air springs.
The Polestar 3 comes standard with double-chamber air springs and active shock absorbers, which are not common on pure electric vehicles. Only XPeng G9 offers the option of double-chamber air suspension. Single-chamber air suspension has gradually become popular in passenger cars priced at around 300,000 RMB. Due to the limited development of the air suspension technology in China, there is currently no domestic supplier that can provide double-chamber air suspension, so the prices of most double-chamber air suspension models are generally higher.
In addition to improving the shock absorption effect, the double-chamber air suspension can also adjust the ground clearance of the chassis over a larger range compared to the single-chamber air spring, so that the Polestar 3 can gain a better balance between handling and comfort. With the active suspension installed, the Polestar 3’s double-chamber air suspension responds at a frequency of 500 Hz, which means that the suspension system will be dynamically adjusted once every 5 cm of travel at a speed of 90 km/h.
Of course, even if the hardware is of high quality, it cannot do without the support of “software”. By coincidence, the Clone Lighthouse channel has obtained two versions of the XPeng G9, and surprisingly, the driving experience of the double-chamber air suspension version is not as good as that of the normal suspension version, which tests the tuning skills. How will Polestar tune a double-chamber air suspension? With the endorsement of Polestar’s years of tuning experience, I am now very much looking forward to the dynamic experience of Polestar 3.
As a vehicle model to be delivered at the end of 2023, Polestar 3 seems to be a must-have for illuminating several more technology trees.
Passenger safety may still be a topic worth discussing. Since Geely Group acquired Volvo, passive safety skills seem to have become the talent of Geely Group’s brand models. All models under the Geely brand have greatly improved in terms of safety. As for the most easily perceived airbags, the extension length of the side air curtains for the Lynk & Co 09, a 6/7 seat model, reaches 2.55 meters, covering from the A-pillar to the D-pillar, with a volume of 56 liters. The Polestar 009 also uses front-to-back side air curtains, with an inflation volume of 70 liters.
In addition, both the smart #1 and the Polestar 2 are equipped with inner side airbags to reduce “mutual harm” between the driver and the front passenger in the event of a side collision. Safety must be further upgraded on Polestar 3. Polestar 3 comes standard with 9 airbags (most regular models have 6 or fewer), and is equipped with the industry’s first dual inner side airbags. When a collision occurs, the two inner side airbags can be fully inflated within 8 ms. What is 8ms? The time you blink is about 180ms.
Polestar 3 has many more details to discuss in terms of passive safety performance, such as the use of high-strength boron steel and new structural design for the body. However, the active safety system enhanced by intelligence is more attractive to me.# Understanding the Safety features of Geely’s Polestar 3
The highest level of safety is preventing accidents from happening. With the support of the NVIDIA Drive chip and new sensing hardware, Geely’s Polestar 3 is able to enhance its active safety capabilities, offering features such as pre-collision warning, lane-keeping, reverse-assist braking, ABS, and other safety technologies. Moreover, Polestar 3 is outfitted with a novel active safety function: four motion detection radars positioned in every corner of the car, including the trunk. This system can detect sub-millimeter motion to ensure infants or pets are not locked inside the vehicle. The system is also linked to the air conditioning system to safeguard against heat stroke or low body temperatures.
Finally, let’s talk about Geely’s Polestar 3 sound system. In 2022, the Chinese new energy vehicle market has gone crazy for sound systems, with Denon, British Master, Hertz, as well as numerous unbranded sound systems. 7.1.4 surround sound systems have become a selling point for all brands, with power becoming increasingly important. Nio’s ET7 has 1000 Watts, Nazha has 1216 Watts, and XPeng G9 has 2250 Watts. If we create a ranking of sound system power, Audi E-tron’s Hertz sound system with 710 W of power may not make the cut.
However, in reality, bigger-power doesn’t necessarily mean better quality. Recently, I came across a “LIKEMUSIC” program that evaluated nine different new energy vehicle sound systems in China, and the most impressive was BMW’s i7 with the Bowers & Wilkins sound system. When I saw that Geely’s Polestar 3 would support the Bowers & Wilkins and Dolby panoramic sound system, I couldn’t help but feel excited.
In summary, how should luxury brands establish themselves in the market today? It’s possible that, in the age of electric power, the number of engine cylinders and the velocity from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour are no longer the determining factors. Design has been a critical factor throughout history, and Geely has created an attractive car with unique style, whether it’s a sedan, sports car, or SUV, by balancing aesthetic and engineering concerns.Meanwhile, the application of new technologies is gradually evident in the Polestar 3, whether in terms of driving experience, comfort, or safety, the Polestar 3’s performance is more comprehensive, thus adding yet another interesting player to the luxury pure electric SUV market.
Do you think it’s over here? No.
Luxury brands should take on some social responsibilities. Do you think I’m going to talk about environmental protection? Saving the earth is too great a thing, let’s consider our own health.
“Cabin Health”
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▎Recently, cabin health has been increasingly valued by consumers. In almost all new cars produced in 2022, a PM2.5 detection system for inside the car is equipped. Most domestic and foreign luxury brands have put a lot of effort into health. If you buy a luxury car in 2022, you will hardly smell the “new car smell”. Thanks to a large amount of environmentally friendly materials used and advances in technology, common harmful substances like formaldehyde have been greatly reduced.
As a high-end brand born in the Nordic region, Polestar’s environmental protection and cabin health are probably just as important as the tuned chassis.
PVC and PU have become one of the most widely used materials for car interiors. However, ultimately, they are still made from fossil fuels. So in the interior materials of the Polestar 3, Polestar has extensively used MicroTech (a renewable ethylene-based material) to replace fossil fuels with natural renewable pine oil.
In addition, the composite material on the interior and seats of the Polestar 3 are made of flax and natural fibers. This material was developed by B-Comp and has almost the same strength as carbon fiber, but is lighter than plastic. Polestar is extremely “cautious” when it comes to the use of leather and woolen fabrics, fully complying with European animal welfare policies. Even the aluminum decorative elements in the interior of the Polestar 3 are made of 80% recycled aluminum.
These environmentally friendly materials are not only to protect the environment but can effectively reduce harmful substances, allowing the interior of the Polestar 3 to reach the skin contact standards of baby clothes.
Moreover, Polestar has teamed up with CabinAir and Volvo to develop an air purifier – the ACC dual-function enhanced air purification system, which ensures that drivers and passengers in the Polestar 3 can breathe pure air. The system filters out industrial dust, pollen, mold spores, and harmful gases, and can even eliminate 97% of viruses and 99% of allergens in the air. In the interior of the Polestar 3, 3000 liters of air per minute is continuously exchanged.Why write the last paragraph? After the “oil crisis” in the 1970s and the revision of the Clean Air Act in the US in 1970, the era of high-displacement vehicles in the automotive industry gradually declined. It’s worth noting that before the 1970s, the fuel tank capacity of most models reached nearly 100 liters. In today’s era, as global emission standards become increasingly strict, the driving medium is shifting from oil to electricity, the engine is becoming a motor, the gearbox no longer needs to match, and the torque that bursts out instantly from the motor makes the pursuit of “power” that was once out of reach become easily accessible, and is no longer the primary target.
The automotive industry is undergoing another transformation, where intelligent, healthy and environmentally friendly features are becoming more and more important requirements of a car. In the next few years, I believe that both domestic consumers and automakers will pay more attention to the prioritization of these three points in a vehicle.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.