JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #121 - May 2018 - 46

LAND TRANSPORTATION CFRP
The car measures 4.5m in length compared
with the 5.15m of the S90. This involved
removing 320mm from the wheelbase and
another 200mm in the rear to create powerful, sporty proportions.
Carbon fibre body
What makes manufacturing the car challenging is that it will be Volvo's first model with a
carbon fibre body.
This lightweight material, more commonly
found in supercars, gives the car three significant advantages. Firstly, a substantial body
weight reduction of 230kg.
Secondly, a 45% increase in torsional stiffness, from 22Nmm-2 to 32Nmm-2.
And finally, reducing the weight of the upper
body panels lowers the centre of gravity for
the Polestar 1 and results in better handling,
performance and drivability on an open and
flowing road.
Polestar expects it will take time for the team
to feel confident with the new process. It will
be a rather slow start, but it is needed for this
complex product.
Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 to follow
All future Polestar cars will feature a fully-electric powertrain. Polestar 2 will be the
first battery electric vehicle (BEV) from the
Volvo Car Group. This mid-sized car will join
the competition around the Tesla Model 3.
Polestar 2 is currently in the engineering
phase and will start production before the
end of 2019, delivering higher volumes than
Polestar 1.
Polestar 3 is in the finishing stages of design
and will be a larger SUV-style BEV, creating
a modern expression of electric performance
and driving dynamics, and sitting between
Polestar 1 and Polestar 2 in terms of volume
and pricing.
Most electric cars are fast - that's a result of
the attributes of an electric motor. However,
for Polestar, performance is far more holistic
than just straight-line speed.
It is about acceleration, of course, but
it is also about cornering, braking, suspension control, chassis feedback and
steering feel. This is what Polestar calls
"progressive performance".
More information:
www.polestar.com

Fig. 2: A CFRP body with optimal carbon fibre layout

Focus
Packed with innovation
Being part of the Volvo Car Group enables Polestar to design, develop and engineer cars using the
processes of a well-established car company but at the same time, enables them to experiment
with new technology in lower volume cars outside the mainstream segments.
Polestar focused on uncompromised car design and technology. Electricity and innovation drive
their cars. Electromobility is the main focus of today's automotive industry, and the company is at
the centre of this development, introducing world-class electrified cars and innovative, customer-focused services and offers:
- The Dragonfly: the use of carbon fibre dramatically influenced the design of the Polestar 1. The
roof cross-sections are slim, light and stiff carbon fibre profiles enabling a low, elegant roof line
and a beautiful design. Furthermore, a cleverly shaped patch of CFRP bonded to the steel underbody stiffens the traditionally weak interface between the middle floor and the rear structure. At
Polestar, this component is known as the Dragonfly.
- Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer: practically all parts of the Polestar 1 upper body, including the
doors, bonnet and boot lid, are made of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) for maximum
stiffness, torsional rigidity and lightness. This stiff and rigid body contributes to great handling
with consistently precise characteristics.
- Active rear spoiler: the Polestar 1 has a standard-fitted active rear spoiler delivering high-speed
downforce on the rear axle. It automatically raises from its integrated flush position when the
speed exceeds 100km/h and is retracted when the speed is reduced below 70km/h.
- - Panoramic glass roof: Polestar 1 comes with a fixed panoramic glass roof, stretching all the way
from the top of the windscreen to the upper edge of the rear window. A small delightful detail is
projected onto the glass roof: The Polestar.
- Interior design: the interior features hand-crafted leather detailing and a carbon fibre wing that
stretches to the full height of the instrument panel. State-of-the-art tooling precision enables a
high-class fit and finish.
- Double wishbone front: the Polestar 1 has a double wishbone front suspension, connecting each
wheel with two transverse links. This design enables the front suspension to counteract torque
steer, delivering a neutral balance with a minimum of unwanted understeer. In addition to these
benefits, most suspension parts are made of aluminium to reduce unsprung weight.
- The rear suspension is an integral link design, a unique solution to the Polestar 1 - with a transverse composite leaf spring, replacing traditional coil springs. This design delivers neutrally-balanced cornering characteristics, minimum roll and low levels of noise, vibration and harshness.

jec composites magazine / N°121 May - June 2018

http://www.polestar.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #121 - May 2018