Polestar reveals EV crash safety features

BURGEONING electric vehicle manufacturer Polestar has revealed a number of safety-related details regarding its first mass-market vehicle, the incoming Polestar 2 battery-electric liftback sedan.

 

Polestar has continued the legacy of its sibling company Volvo in striving for the most comprehensive safety standards on the market, developing a number of safety features developed exclusively for its EVs.

 

The company has developed a safety feature for the battery pack housed in the floor of the car’s CMA modular electric platform, which can help protect the potentially volatile batteries in the event of a crash.

 

Polestar 2’s batteries are already enclosed in an aluminium case, however engineers have developed a new feature where in the event of a crash the battery pack is disconnected from the rest of the vehicle to ensure there is no live connection.

 

The Polestar 2 debuts a new a new feature called SPOC Block (Severe Partial Offset Crash),  a deflective block of solid aluminium housed on the bottom edge of the front firewall on both sides of the car designed to minimise the impact of wheels and other other objects into the cabin during a partially offset frontal collision.

 

Along with this, Polestar has developed the Front Lower Load Path (FLLP), essentially an extra layer of buffering for frontal impacts – a role previously filled by engines on front-mounted internal-combustion vehicles.

 

The Polestar 2 is also the first model in the Volvo Car Group to be fitted with inner-side airbags for front passengers, which will be a standard feature in all markets.

 

The airbags add an extra layer of protection for the inner limbs of the front occupants, providing protection on both sides of the body as well as the front.

 

Like other EVs, the Polestar 2 comes with specially developed external sounds for its low-speed acoustic warning system given it does not emit the same powertrain noise as petrol and diesel-powered vehicles. 

 

With a patent pending, the Acoustic Vehicle Alert System has been developed to sound recognisable and natural without being intrusive.

 

Engineers have positioned the external speakers to ensure the sound coming from the vehicle complies to legal requirements and provides comfort for those inside and outside the car.

 

A new generation of Volvo Car Group’s advanced driver assistance systems will also be debuted, which will allow acceleration, braking and steering assistance at speeds of up to 130km/h.

 

The Pilot Assist feature will now sport location-based enhancements which will fine-tune the amount of assistance provided with acceleration.

 

Polestar has so far been scheduled for a launch Down Under in 2020, with GoAuto contacting Volvo Australia for more concrete launch timing.