Beijing Auto Show: Polestar and a new era for NEV design

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If you want to succeed as a brand in the auto industry, you need to have your own identity. CEO of Polestar Thomas Ingenlath shared his confidence in the future of his brand with CGTN Digital at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show.

Polestar is the electric performance brand of the Volvo Group, owned by Chinese firm Geely. Polestar 1, the brand’s first road model, will be released in 2019 through a unique online subscription-based model, and its stunning design and impressive performance stats has made it one of the must-sees at the Auto Show.

With 600 horsepower, a 2.0 liter turbo engine and an electric range of 150 kilometers, Ingenlath dismissed comparisons to Tesla as lazy journalism, pointing to Polestar 1’s “advanced, avant-garde design” and “quality interiors,” as well as its position in a family “that has so much experience in building premium cars.”

Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show. /VCG Photo‍

This year’s Auto Show saw many new electric car models on display from both Chinese and international brands, with models like Polestar leading the NEV sector away from an era that saw electric cars put into what Ingenlath calls a “funny, exotic box,” adding that “electric cars shouldn’t look special to be special, they should look attractive.”

When it comes to the Chinese market, Ingenlath told CGTN that he isn’t a fan of making “big distinctions” between different regions, insisting that so-called differences in tastes and trends were “shrinking,” with greater unity in the global car market the bigger story.

“Electric cars shouldn’t look special to be special, they should look attractive.” Polestar at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show. /VCG Photo

However, Polestar 1, which has been priced at 1.45 million yuan in China, or 155,000 US dollars in the US, has an advantage in the Chinese market thanks to its relationship with Geely and the Volvo Group.

China is one of 18 countries where the Polestar 1 will be made available, with around 500 cars set to be produced annually worldwide.

The company has already announced the Polestar 2 (a hatchback saloon) and Polestar 3 (an SUV), with production set to reach “higher volumes” with prices at “much more accessible” levels.

When asked whether Polestar would find itself trying to follow trends in the Chinese market or remain true to its principles of setting those trends, Ingenlath responded by telling CGTN that Polestar has “an authentic, very original idea,” and concluded by saying forging your own identity attracts customers, and while that’s not an easy path to go down, in the long term it’s the best guarantee of success.