Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath recently spoke about the trade off between range and design, stating that he would be willing to lose a few miles of range for the sake of brand identity. While many automaker are heavily focused on making their EVs as efficient as possible, former designer Ingenlath believes styling should be a key priority as well.
For example, Mercedes-Benz has received a lot of criticism for the design of its EVs. While the EQS and EQE have superb drag coefficients, many have been quick to point out the somewhat bland styling and “egg-like” shape of the pair. Their SUV equivalents have also received similar comments.
Speaking with AutoCar, Ingenlath acknowledged the importance of making efficient vehicles with competitive driving ranges. However he insisted range is not everything consumers are looking for it comes to buying an electric vehicle, with design playing a crucial role as well:
“If you ask me personally, at Polestar, I would definitely, for some kind of quality in the character of the car, give away a certain percentage of efficiency. But, of course, it has to be a reasonable amount. I think our customers would appreciate that as well.”
Ingenlath was also quizzed about Polestar’s latest vehicle, the 4 crossover. As you may have seen, the 4 has no rear window. Instead, it relies purely on a camera system. Ingenlath insisted this was done to ensure better rear visibility. He commented that the 4 has a far superior rear view to most vehicles thanks to its innovative camera system.
“You look into what’s possible with technology, and it is possible to solve it with a video stream projected onto a screen, and boom, suddenly, you realise, wow, what was this teeny tiny black view is suddenly amazing. And even in the night, it’s much better than [before], so it’s a great innovation.”
Furthermore, the camera-system allows the 4 to look a “little bit unconventional” which is exactly what Ingenlath is chasing. That said, what happens in the unlikely scenario the camera system fails? We’re not so sure, as seemingly you would be left with a massive blindspot.
