GOOD DESIGN AUSTRALIA’S AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN AWARD IS A SPECIAL ACCOLADE WITHIN THE AUTOMOTIVE AND TRANSPORT CATEGORY THAT RECOGNISES EXCELLENCE IN AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN AND STYLING.
VEHICLES ENTERED INTO THE AUTOMOTIVE AND TRANSPORT CATEGORY IN THE ANNUAL GOOD DESIGN AWARDS ARE CONSIDERED FOR THE BEST EXTERIOR DESIGN AWARD AND BEST INTERIOR DESIGN AWARD AS PART OF THE JURY PROCESS.
Polestar 3 is an SUV designed for the electric age. Created by Polestar, its design seeks to challenge what drivers expect of an SUV without compromising on space, performance and sustainability. The final product is described by Senior Exterior Designer, Nahum Escobedo, as a ‘celebration of technology’.
The design process behind Polestar 3 is as intriguing as its exterior. From the use of renewable energy during production through to a transparent supply chain, the SUV seeks to offer a sustainable design roadmap for the entire electric vehicle (EV) industry.
Even at first glance, Polestar 3 is distinct. A closer look reveals that expectation has been replaced with innovation. The SmartZone is just one of the features that embodies this approach. It replaces the grille with a cluster of cameras, radars and sensors that allow drivers to sense their surroundings with meticulous detail. Other remarkable features include an aerodynamic roofline and frameless door mirrors.
The vehicle has been recognised with the 2024 Automotive Design Award (Best Exterior Design). We sat down with Escobedo and Polestar’s Head of PR and Communications, Laurissa Mirabelli, to explore the vision at the driver’s seat of this impactful project.
[Nahum Escobedo (right) and Polestar team members designing Polestar 3 Image: Polestar]
GDA: Can you tell us about how Polestar 3’s technology is reflected in its exterior design?
For example… with combustion engine cars, we used to design very large openings to cool down the engine. But now, because of the technology that we have at the moment, front-facing cameras, radars and sensors, we’re able to showcase that technology in a way that it also makes the car look more modern, unique, and quite different from the rest. And then also the implementation of aerodynamics… How we designed those elements to be a part of it dictated how the car looks.
Nahum Escobedo: We saw an opportunity to showcase the technology that [Polestar 3] has, especially as it starts getting closer to autonomous driving. Showcasing that technology gave us the opportunity to also enhance the character of the car, giving it a different look.
GDA: Where do you turn for design inspiration during a project like this?
Nahum Escobedo: As a designer, I think you’re constantly working. It’s a 24/7 sort of job. So inspiration, at least for me, it really comes from everywhere. I hardly ever look at other manufacturers or cars or anything like that. My inspiration usually comes from architecture, fashion, aeronautics, product design and graphic design.
I think that it was very important to apply all those things, to try to find the balance and merge them into this sort of a Scandinavian design that we have.
It’s quite exciting. It’s [also] very challenging, because you have all this inspiration coming in. But, also our course values being a Scandinavian design brand… Trying to find the balance to make something that looks good, but also ages well and has a timeless design… It’s very, very challenging. So, I try to gather inspiration from all of these other areas.
GDA: Would you say the SmartZone is one of the features of the Polestar 3 that challenges traditional luxury SUVs?
Nahum Escobedo: Yes, for sure. Because, you know, it also allows [drivers] to talk about, not only the car, but also the technology that is behind it. I think nowadays, that is quite important… A lot of the drivers know that there’s a lot of technology in their car. But to be [also] able to talk about it not only gives it a special look, but it creates interest.
I think celebrating technology is a big part of Polestar as a brand. We are doing things quite differently than they’ve been done before.
[Polestar 3 – Winner of the 2024 Good Design Automotive Design Award (Best Exterior Design) Image: Polestar]
What was your initial vision for the aesthetic of the Polestar 3? Did it evolve over time?
Nahum Escobedo: From one of my first sketches when we were trying to develop or compete for this design… I didn’t really want to do a typical SUV. You know, usually… you will start with the silhouette. The silhouette will sort of redefine the type of vehicle. And at that time, there were two very distinctive silhouettes, which is the seven seater, typical SUV that you have, and then also this coupe that other brands have been exploring.
I really wanted to create something different. Something in between that didn’t exist yet but also offers the capabilities of an SUV… This is also why you see a wing on the Polestar 3. Right now, this is probably the first SUV that has a wing on the front.
So, you know, taking this approach of, ‘Why do we always have to go with the same sort of solutions?’ For me, at the beginning, it was okay to challenge that. And luckily… it carries into what it is now. Because this is, you know, it’s not your typical seven seater, it’s not a people mover. But, it’s a very exciting SUV that still has a lot of space and the capabilities of an SUV.
GDA: What would you say were the biggest design challenges that yourself and the team faced while creating Polestar 3?
Nahum Escobedo: I will say, integrating the wing and the front. Developing or designing something that doesn’t look like what everyone is doing was very, very challenging… I think nowadays, aerodynamics dictates so much about how the car looks from the exterior. And so for me, that was one of the biggest challenges. Also, having this very low roof and also keeping the interior space intact was quite crucial.
As a brand this was our first electric SUV. So we had a lot of challenges, not only from the design point of view, but also when it comes down to the construction and the architecture of this car… I have to say, it was very tough, but we’re super happy that we ended up with this design and this look.
[Polestar 3 – Winner of the 2024 Good Design Automotive Design Award (Best Exterior Design) Image: Polestar]
GDA: How does Polestar three propel a shift towards sustainability?
Nahum Escobedo: In 2020 we designed the Polestar Precept and this was sort of our beginning of looking into sustainable materials. Polestar 3 was sort of our first car where we started to really implement this process. [We started] really tracing, working with suppliers to develop new materials.
Mirabella: At the time, a lot of these materials weren’t readily available. For example, the flax composite. That took a really long time to perfect so that the two teams, from a product side, could evolve into what the designers needed to develop for the vehicle. That was a really exciting development…
One of the really exciting things was the use, and we already had this in Polestar 2, but expanding again in terms of our traceability. So, using Blockchain technology to track and trace, not just cobalt, mica and leather, which we already had been doing, but also extend that to nickel and lithium.
Leather is a really interesting one, because we only take what’s wasted after the meat and dairy industry is finished. So we’re not creating a new waste stream, which is why the leather is actually very stable. That’s why you’ll see the impact proudly displayed on the headrest of Polestar three.
Then beyond that we had the life cycle assessment report validated by an external party called Ricardo. It’s very transparent. It’s sharing our methodology. You can go and have a look at how they evaluated the impact of different materials in the vehicle, but then to have that backup of an independent body that says, ‘Yes, we can certify that this vehicle’s impact is correct, and the impact at launch is less than the Polestar 2 when it was launched.’
There’s been a lot of learnings along the way that have led to this vehicle, and it continues beyond Polestar 3.
[Polestar 3 – Winner of the 2024 Good Design Automotive Design Award (Best Exterior Design) Image: Polestar]
What effect do you hope that this sort of innovation will have on the electric vehicle space?
Nahum Escobedo: I think this will have a big impact… I mean, now designers have a big responsibility. It’s not just about creating a beautiful object that can take you from point A to point B. We also have to be very conscious of the decisions we’re making.
And so I think at least my dream will be that, and I’m not just talking about Polestar, other companies will collaborate more with suppliers to really push the envelope and then make a change for a more sustainable future.
And I think if we do that, not only will the cars look different, but also my hope is that you will be driving [feeling] even happier. [Because] you know that you’re making a big change in the environment. But the more we explore this avenue, I think cars and the look of the cars will change a lot.
Mirabella: I think that leads into Polestar’s position on climate neutrality. We talk very openly about electric cars not being clean today. They are still the best option, but there’s a long way to go. The way that you do that is that you charge with renewable energy during the usage phase, but you look back down the supply chain to address all the emissions down the line.
So exactly what Nahum is saying, that you need to collaborate more within the industry to drive change among suppliers and in manufacturing as well. It doesn’t take just one brand to do that. It takes collective action. And so that’s really what Polestar is pushing for as it moves towards creating a climate neutral car in 2030. It’s something for the whole industry to get involved in and get behind.
Designing cleaner, driving happier
In the spotlight of the 2024 Automotive Design Award (Best Exterior Design), Polestar 3 invites other brands to join their movement towards sustainable mobility. Design process inclusions like the life cycle assessment report represent a commitment to industry-wide change. Overall, this design project was underpinned by collaboration and optimism from day one. The result? A luxury SUV that’s beautiful from the inside out.
