The Polestar 5 will follow in the footsteps of the Porsche Taycan from 2024. To achieve that goal, Polestar has designed a new welded aluminum platform that promises greater torsional rigidity than a traditional supercar, but in the form of a four-door GT. An achievement made possible by the British R&D team in Coventry.
Aluminum and out of competition
To achieve such rigidity, Polestar relied on its in-house skills through its R&D center in England. A team of more than 280 engineers, some of whom have worked on Formula 1 projects or on highly exclusive small-run production models, including sports cars.
Based on their experience, glued aluminum was chosen, which guarantees superior lightness and stiffness compared to more conventional steel. Although glued aluminum is not in itself a novelty, the manufacturing process itself is new and innovative, allowing for simultaneous development of the platform and body. An engineering approach that would allow the first Polestar proprietary platform to have quite exceptional stiffness, as it would be greater than that of a traditional supercar. In addition, this platform has made it possible to maintain lines very similar to those of the concept car Precept, which inspired this electric super sedan.
Light and stiff
One of the drawbacks of electric vehicles is their heavy weight, which is related to the weight of the powerful battery pack needed to guarantee a decent range. Polestar aims to ‘work around’ this problem by using aluminum for the platform of the 5. A material that is light and rigid, offering the superior performance and environmental benefits that are essential to the brand’s philosophy.
According to Polestar, the naked body (platform plus full body) would weigh less than that of lower-end models. A blessing to compensate for the weight of the batteries and to ensure a high level of dynamic behavior while promoting a greater range. The principle of ‘light is right’, but on an electrical scale, as it were. In addition, this increased rigidity will increase active safety through more efficient and safer behavior, as well as passive safety in the event of a collision.
Before 2024
Another advantage of this new technique of glued aluminum is the speed of development that it allows. An essential element that will enable Polestar to launch the 5 from 2024. It will then play the role of the brand’s top model and signify a return to a body shape more relevant in an eco-responsible approach, following the successive launches of two SUVs, the large Polestar 3 in 2022 and the more compact Polestar 4 with a ‘coupé-like’ profile in 2024.
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