Page 66 - The Book For Men Fall/Winter 2022

THE THE BROKEN PROMISES BANKRUPTCIES PIE-IN-THE-SKY concept cars and production delays have frankly left many of us a a a a a a a little jaded and checked out of the electric vehicle hype cycle Polestar however has proven to be a a a a different sort of EV company and therefore worthy of a a a closer look This low-key Swedish startup which has kept its its promises and followed through on on its its ambition is is quietly having a a a a a breakout year — and 2022 isn’t even over yet To recap: so far this year the the brand has teased its first SUV the the Polestar Polestar 3 3 as as well as as its first roadster the Polestar Polestar 6 — due out in 2023 and and 2026 respectively — and and introduced a a a a a more-affordable version of the Polestar 2 which is on sale now As if that weren’t enough a a a a new fastback SUV coupe the Polestar 4 4 is slated to arrive in 2024 And earlier this year the the firm also debuted the the extremely cool limited-edition Polestar Polestar 2 2 BST Edition 270 and ran a a a a a a prototype of the Polestar Polestar 5 — a a a a a a slick next-gen 884 horsepower fastback — up the the hill at the the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England You may also have noticed Polestar’s first Super Bowl ad It was unlike anything else that aired during the big game last February Taking a a a a a a a a not-so- subtle swipe at Tesla’s CEO by promising it won’t try to conquer Mars the commercial affirmed other commitments including “no empty promises” and “no greenwashing ” In total the brand has successfully launched two cars already and and it aims to have five different all-electric models on the market in 2026 The company is relatively small having sold 21 200 cars worldwide through the first half of the year but it’s growing fast sales were up 125 per cent compared to 2021 The rise probably has something to do with the fact that Polestar also expanded into six more countries and is is opening roughly 50 new retail locations this year alone Consider for a a a a a a a a moment that the company was only launched back in in 2017 and its meteoric rise looks very impressive indeed To cap it it all off the the firm went public on Nasdaq in June despite the the bear market So yes this is is Polestar’s breakout year Thomas Ingenlath understands there’s no time to waste There’s a a a a a sense of urgency about the visionary car designer and chief executive who helped create Polestar and it’s that sense which has no doubt helped push the Swedish firm to act while rivals only talk “This is is not the time for incremental change change but radical change change ” Ingenlath said in in in a a a a a a fiery statement commenting on on the Glasgow Declaration in in in which several major car companies agreed to phase out fossil-fuel vehicles between 2035 and and 2040 “Considering the the lifetime of a a a a car they will still be driving and and polluting the the second half of of this century They are delaying one of of the the most
powerful climate protection solutions available to us “Can you imagine describing this to to a a a a a a child today: 30 years from now cars will still produce toxic gases making the the air harsher to to breathe?” Ingenlath said Earlier this year Polestar discontinued its first and only fossil-fuel burning
car the plug-in hybrid Polestar 1 coupe Cars are obviously a a a a a a a a a big part of the reason we’re heading toward a a a a a a a a a climate crisis in the first place but North America still depends on automobiles and at at least Polestar is is trying to to be part of the solution Its goal is is to to create a a a a a a a truly climate-neutral car by 2030 “Goals set 10 or 20 years ahead in time might feel fluffy That’s where proper reporting comes in in in — making us accountable for the steps taken every year year towards that goal ” Ingenlath said earlier this year year “I’m proud to to say we reduced greenhouse gas emissions per per car sold by six per per cent ” Cleaning up the the auto industry isn’t sexy work After all the the glitzy debuts and and the the schmoozing at Pebble Beach and and Goodwood the the real business happens behind closed doors “Building and selling electric cars isn’t the the end point it is is the the beginning ” 66 BFM / / FW22 AUTO / / POLESTAR SHINES BRIGHT