Polestar’s Newest Car Proves the Convertible Isn’t Dead Yet

A few years back, Volvo spun its electric performance arm Polestar into an independent brand — and so far, the results have been promising. Whether it’s mass-market offerings like the Polestar 2 or the upcoming halo Polestar 5 that will use supercar tech and draw heavily from the brand’s stunning Precept concept, the future looks bright.

And getting brighter. Polestar has just provided us with another glimpse of that future with the O2 concept, which they call their “vision of a new era of sports cars.”

Here’s what you need to know about the Polestar O2.

The Polestar O2 concept is a 2+2 convertible

Polestar

O2 is of course, the chemical symbol for oxygen. Much of that element will enter the cabin of this car, as the O2 features a retractable roof. Convertible tops have been relatively rare for EVs, aside from Tesla’s heavily Lotus-based Roadster. That could be a technical issue for some manufacturers. It could also be a “why bother” issue, as buyers don’t flock to soft tops anymore.

Polestar’s O2 concept has a built-in cinematic drone

Polestar

Polestar included an autonomous cinematic drone integrated behind the rear seats. The car uses a specialized aerofoil that creates a calm area of negative pressure for the drone to take off. Drivers can choose from a more atmospheric shoot or a more action-oriented one that will focus on driving. The drone can tail the car while it travels at speeds up to 56 mph.

Video from the drone can be edited from the 15-inch touchscreen when the car is parked and uploaded straight to social media. Polestar does not mention whether you’ll be able to overlay your favorite ’80s soft rock ballad over the footage.

It’s not clear whether the O2 will become a production car

Polestar

Polestar calls the O2 the “hero car for our brand.” But they also say it’s a bespoke platform adapted from the Polestar 5 — a four-door GT car — and future cars may receive elements from this concept.

We would expect the O2 concept shows how rigid Polestar’s new bonded aluminum platform will be, and forecasts some of the design language and sustainable materials we’ll see in the Polestar 5 and other vehicles.

Polestar is launching three new cars in the next three years

Polestar

Polestar will launch three new electric vehicles in the next three years. The Polestar 3 will be an electric crossover. The Polestar 4 arriving afterward will probably be a crossover coupe version of the Polestar 3. The aforementioned Polestar 5 would arrive afterward. That means the O2 concept, if it comes to production at all, likely wouldn’t arrive until 2026 at the earliest.

The 36 Electric Cars We’re Most Excited to Drive in the Future

Courtesy

The next few years will be packed with new EVs. These are the ones that have us jazzed the most.

Related Topics