The Polestar Precept Concept isn’t just a fun tongue twister for these isolated times, but a bona fide vision of the company’s future. It’s packed with interesting details and technology that will likely appear not only in future Polestar models, but Volvos too.
Oh, and it has a “vegan interior.” According to Polestar, the interior of the Precept has “high levels of recycled content, building on the vegan foundations [of] the Polestar 2.” Those materials include flax-based plastic for the dashboard mouldings, and parts of the internal structure made from a material called ‘powerRIBS’ which is “inspired by leafy veins”.
According to Polestar, this powerRIBS thing not only creates components of exceptional rigidity, reducing vibrations and therefore increasing comfort, but also reduces weight by a good 50%, and using 80% less material. In addition, the seat covers are 3D printed from recycled bottles and the headlining textile uses recycled bottles too, while the carpets are basically recycled fishing nets.
Still, the Polestar Precept isn’t all Greenpeace rallies and avocado soup – there’s a tech-laden and extremely potent electric car in there too. The 15-inch touchscreen can stream content when the car’s parked and is controlled using proximity sensors and hand gestures, and the digital instrument panel tracks eye movement to ensure it’s as clear as possible. It integrates Google maps for real time traffic data.
Because it’s a concept Polestar doesn’t go into great detail about the drivetrain, although it is 100% electric and, for reference, the production Polestar 2’s setup is 400hp and four-wheel drive, good for 60mph in just 4.7 seconds. It’s extremely aerodynamic, including slender digital wing mirrors, air ducts behind the front wheels for improved airflow around the side of the car, 22-inch aerodynamically styled wheels, and a front wing integrated into the bonnet.
That all goes into reducing drag, which not only improves acceleration but also increases battery range; the Polestar 2 has a WLTP rating of 292 miles from a 78kWh battery pack.
Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said: “People ask me all the time, ‘what is the future of Polestar?’, and of course we are not showing our future models just yet, but Precept shows you where we will be heading – our design direction, our ambitions about sustainability and the great digital user experience we will bring with those future cars. Precept showcases our future, not as a fancy dream or something out of a sci-fi movie. This is our reality, to come.”
Keyword: Polestar aims to trump Tesla with "vegan" Precept Concept