The New Polestar 2 EV Matches its Performance with Equally High Safety Standards

author: Manish Kharinta   

Volvo Car Group's performance electric vehicle brand Polestar recently announced the official pricing of its Polestar 2 EV for the U.S. market. Prices for the electric fastback will start at $59,900 in North America making the Swedish EV the latest fully-electric offering to be slated for launch in the U.S.

Following the announcement, Volvo's electric car brand Polestar has gone on record to detail the innovative safety technology in the upcoming Polestar 2. 

Polestar's attention to safety comes from its parent Volvo, which is one of the most safety-conscious brands in the automotive industry. Polestar engineers have thought of contingencies for every possible safety threat to the vehicle's occupants. 

Like other electric vehicles, the battery pack in Polestar 2 sits low in the floor of the vehicle architecture. However, in the event of a crash, the entire battery pack housing automatically detaches itself from the EV terminating any live connections to prevent any electric fires. 

The Polestar 2 also gets what the company calls a "Severe Partial Offset Crash" (SPOC) block, which is a solid block of aluminum that absorbs any impact from the wheels in the event of a front collision, thereby protecting both the cabin and the battery pack.

For instance, to protect the cabin from a head-on collision with a pole, the company outfitted the Polestar 2 with a "Front Lower Load Path" (FLLP), which diverts the hit away from the passenger compartment.

The Polestar 2 comes loaded with advanced safety technology.

The company has even gone to extreme lengths to ensure pedestrian safety at low speeds. Polestar developed an "Acoustic Vehicle Alert System", which uses external speakers and carefully designed sounds that alert bystanders whenever the vehicle is moving. This proprietary technology is currently patent pending. 

The system was developed in collaboration with sound engineers, while ensuring that all legal parameters were met.

The electric fastback also comes fitted with inner side airbags in the front seats, which have been designed to protect the occupants not only from a head-on impact, but also from either side of the vehicle. Polestar is offering this feature standard, for no additional cost.

The company's next-generation Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology will also be making its debut in Polestar 2. This tech will include features like Pilot Assist which much like Tesla's Autopilot will control the EV's steering, acceleration, and braking at speeds up to 81 mph.

Other standard features in the Polestar 2 include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and steering assistance, which monitor the vehicle's surroundings to detect pedestrians, oncoming traffic, cyclists, and other blind spots to ensure the safety of passengers at all times.

The Polestar 2 is powered by a 78 kWh battery pack which the company claims will offer 292 miles of WLTP range. Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph is 4.7 seconds, thanks to the vehicle's 408 horsepower electric powertrain with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.