Unique Polestar 2 ‘Arctic Circle’ exhibits Swedish EV engineering expertise

Polestar engineers its vehicles in extreme conditions in various places around the world – from the searing heat of Arizona in the United States to the bitter cold of northern Sweden. As a Swedish premium EV manufacturer, it is this especially cold environment where Polestar’s engineering expertise comes to the fore and sets the brand apart.

Executed within the Arctic Circle at over 66-degrees north, Polestar’s intense winter testing programme runs for 15 weeks from December to March every year and sees teams of engineers pushing prototypes – and themselves – to the limit. Not only harsh on mechanical components, the immense cold has also pushed Polestar engineers in testing the car in very challenging conditions – even in temperatures as low as -35 degrees Celsius.

Joakim Rydholm, Polestar’s chief chassis engineer, has led the dynamic development of Polestar vehicles for over a decade and advocates tuning in this environment.

“Tuning a chassis on snow and ice allows us to develop our cars in what feels like slow motion and with better accuracy,” says Joakim Rydholm. “With such low levels of grip, we can feel and analyse the dynamics at a much slower pace than on tarmac, which means we can really fine-tune the way our cars behave, down to the smallest details. This is my absolute favourite place to develop cars.”

To exhibit this expertise, and being a rally driver in his spare time with numerous trophies to his name, Joakim Rydholm created the unique Polestar 2 ‘Arctic Circle’ as a one-off special version that brings winter rally inspiration to a Polestar for the first time.

The base car, a Polestar 2 Long range Dual motor with Performance Pack, features several specific tweaks. Raised ride height (+30 mm), increased power and torque output (350 kW and 680 Nm) and custom-made 19-inch studded winter tyres (245/35 R19), each featuring 4 mm metal studs (490 per tyre), give the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle the mechanical credentials to be quick and agile on snow and ice.

In combination with 30%-softer springs, the three-way performance Öhlins dampers, specially designed and tuned for this car together with Öhlins, are set to nine clicks front and rear and feature auxiliary adjustment chambers, and the standard 4-piston Brembo front brakes remain. Front and rear strut braces have been fitted to increase torsional rigidity and steering responsiveness. A new prototype launch control system has also been integrated via steering wheel-mounted paddles. A carbon fibre snow shovel and a recovery strap are mounted in the rear of the car as well.

Visually, rally inspiration has included the fitment of 19-inch OZ Racing rally wheels, four Stedi Quad Pro LED front lights and unique exterior livery in matte grey and white – met by custom-upholstered Recaro front bucket seats in charcoal with Swedish gold branding. The front bumper features a carbon fibre skid plate for additional under-body protection.

“I wanted to have more fun than usual with this car – really being able to push it in terms of performance and handling in a winter environment like a frozen lake. The balance and predictability we have achieved with the raised ride height and specialised tyres are particularly noticeable when you enter a bend completely sideways, with a bigger-than-usual smile on your face, and in total control,” concludes Joakim Rydholm.

The Polestar 2 Arctic Circle is a one-time-only showpiece and will not be put into production.

About Polestar

Polestar was established as a new, standalone Swedish premium electric vehicle manufacturer in 2017. Founded by Volvo Cars and Geely Holding,Polestar enjoys specific technological and engineering synergies with Volvo Cars and benefits from significant economies of scale as a result.

Polestar is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, and its vehicles are currently available and on the road in markets across Europe, North America,China and Asia Pacific. By 2023, the company plans to be present in 30 global markets. Polestar cars are currently manufactured in two facilities in China, with additional future manufacturing planned in the USA.

In September 2021, Polestar announced its intention to list as a public company on the Nasdaq in a business combination agreement with Gores Guggenheim, Inc. Full information on this definitive agreement can be found here.

Polestar has produced two electric performance cars. The Polestar 1 was built between 2019 and 2021 asa low-volume electric performance hybrid GT with a carbon fibre body, 609 hp, 1,000 Nm and an electric-only range of 124 km (WLTP) – the longest of any hybrid car in the world.

The Polestar 2 electric performance fastback is the company’s first fully electric, high volume car. The Polestar 2 model range includes three variants with a combination of long- and standard range batteries as large as 78 kWh, and dual- and single-motor powertrains with as much as 300 kW / 408 hp and 660 Nm.

In the coming three years, Polestar plans to launch one new electric vehicle per year, starting with Polestar 3 in 2022 – the company’s first electric performance SUV. Polestar 4 is expected to follow in 2023, a smaller electric performance SUV coupe.

In 2024, the Polestar 5 electric performance 4-door GT is planned to be launched as the production evolution of Polestar Precept – the manifesto concept car that Polestar released in 2020 that showcases the brand’s future vision in terms of design, technology, and sustainability. As the company seeks to reduce its climate impact with every new model, Polestar aims to produce a truly climate-neutral car by 2030.