Polestar 2 to match performance with high safety

The 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.

Protecting the battery pack 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 Compact Modular Architecture 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. The entire package has also been tuned to cancel certain vibrational frequencies, acting as a damper to reduce noise, vibration and harshness.

In the event of a crash, the battery pack is automatically disconnected from the rest of the vehicle to ensure there is no live connection. Protecting the battery pack during a collision is key. The Polestar 2 features the 'Severe Partial Offset Crash (SPOC) block' - a deflective solid aluminium block housed on the bottom edge of the front firewall on either side of the car, designed to minimise intrusion of the wheel and other objects into the cabin and towards the battery pack during partially offset frontal collisions. Increasing protection in the absence of an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) , the Polestar 2 also features a new Front Lower Load Path (FLLP) that protects occupants and the battery pack from more direct frontal impacts, for example with a pole.

To improve safety at slow speeds, the 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 AVAS has been engineered according to very specific parameters, with a pending patent.

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.

The 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. The safety arsenal of the Polestar 2 expands beyond crashworthiness and audio warnings. All available safety systems and assistance features are fitted as standard in the launch edition, giving customers absolute peace of mind that they will be driving one of the most advanced cars on the road.

The Polestar 2 debuts a new generation of Advanced Driver Assistance System technology, which will make its way into other products from the Volvo Car Group as well. Pilot Assist is an advanced driver assistance system which provides acceleration, braking and steering assistance up to 130km/h.

In its latest guise, Pilot Assist features location-based enhancements which adjust the amount of assistance in acceleration based on the car’s actual position.

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 to help ensure that interactions between other road users and the Polestar 2 are kept as safe as possible at all times.