Polestar launches 2022 global Design Contest

Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand led by CEO and renowned car designer Thomas Ingenlath, launches its 2022 vision of future mobility Design Contest under the theme of ‘Performance’.

Launched in 2020, the annual Polestar Design Contest challenges aspiring designers, both professional and students, to create exciting visions for future Polestar concepts. The designs do not need to be a car. But they do need to be a Polestar.

Uniquely, the Polestar Design Contest features designers from Polestar coaching shortlisted participants one-on-one, a modelling team that provides digital modelling support to finalists, and hard model production of the winning designs.

This year, Polestar plans to produce the winning design as a full-size 1:1 scale model, expected to be showcased on the Polestar stand at Auto Shanghai in April 2023.

Maximilian Missoni, Head of Design at Polestar, comments: “For a design to be presented on the world stage in much the same way as one of Polestar’s own concept cars is a money-can’t-buy opportunity for any designer. We want to encourage, support, and celebrate innovative design, and the people who realise it. What better way to do that than to present a full-size model* of their creation on the centre stage at one of the largest automotive shows in the world?”

Following the previous two themes of ‘Pure’ and ‘Progressive’, the 2022 Contest brief is to design a Polestar that is the antithesis of the classic idiom of high-consumption performance rooted in the 20th century. It must visually show a new form of ‘Performance’ and tell the advanced technical story that enables this in a sustainable way.

Juan Pablo Bernal, Interior Design Manager at Polestar, founder of the Polestar Design Contest and curator of the @polestardesigncommunity Instagram page, comments: “I believe this year’s ‘Performance’ theme will capture the imagination of a design community that has responded extremely creatively to our Design Contest thus far. I’ve been truly inspired by the array of submissions that continue to harness the essence of our brand in such a captivating way. We expect this year will be no different – the paradigm has shifted from high-consumption performance of the 20th century, so we are looking for design ideas that embody that shift.”

Since the start, the Polestar Design Contest has featured a variety of vehicles and cutting edge concepts, and draws entries from students and professional designers across the globe. The ground-breaking designs have previously included a car which tackles local pollution with on-board and externally visible air filters, an electric-and-helium airship, prosthetic springboard blades for walking and a luxury yacht that exuded Polestar’s minimalistic design tonality.

KOJA, the micro-space tree house by Finnish designer Kristian Talvitie that received an honourable mention in the 2021 Polestar Design Contest, has been brought to life this summer at the renowned Fiskars Art & Design Biennale taking place in Finland. It’s the first submission to be realised in full scale.

Ends.

Notes to editors

More information about the 2022 Polestar Design Contest on https://about.polestar.com/polestar-design-contest/2022/

Initial design submissions – 31st August

- 10 professional and 10 student designers will be shortlisted after initial submissions of 2D design material.

Finalist designers announced – 1st November

- 5 professional and 5 student designer finalists (selected from the short-listed 10 professional and 10 student designers) at the second submission.

Winning Designers announced – 11th November

- One winning student or professional designer expected to have their design produced as full-size exterior design hard model (*unless their design is larger than a car, then it would be produced as a scale model).

About Polestar

Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC (Nasdaq: PSNY) (“Polestar”) is a Swedish premium electric vehicle manufacturer. Founded by Volvo Car AB (publ.) (together with its subsidiaries, “Volvo Cars”) and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd (“Geely”), in 2017,  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 that its cars will be available in an aggregate of 30 markets. Polestar cars are currently manufactured in two facilities in China, with additional future manufacturing planned in the USA.

Polestar has produced two electric performance cars. The Polestar 1 was built between 2019 and 2021 as a 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 at the time.

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.

From 2022, Polestar plans to launch one new electric vehicle per year, starting with Polestar 3 – the company’s first electric performance SUV which is expected to debut in October 2022. 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 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.


In early March 2022, Polestar revealed its second concept car, an electric performance roadster whichbuilds on the design, technology and sustainability ambitions laid out by Precept and showcases the brand’s vision for future sports cars. The hard-top convertible presents an evolution of the unique design language first shown by Precept and emphasises a dynamic driving experience. The concept further develops the focus on sustainability and technology, aiming towards greater circularity.