Polestar's First Carbon Fiber Crash Test Was a Success

With the might of Volvo’s safety center behind it, it was always a safe bet that the Polestar 1 would be a safety leader. But Volvo, for all its leadership in safety tech, has never had to test cars made primarily of carbon fiber before.

That’s why the first crash test of Polestar’s first model was actually a bit of an unknown for the team.

“We were really excited about this crash test. The first crash test of Polestar 1 has been about exploring the unknown,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer at Polestar. “This was a crucial proof point in the development of Polestar 1; we had to know that the ideas and calculations that have gone into building this car were right – and they were.”

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The Polestar 1 was tested in a simulated front on collision at 56 km/h (roughly 25 mph). The test was conducted at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre in Gothenburg and the team reports that it was a success.

Success wasn’t always guaranteed because steel and carbon polymer react very differently to stress.

Whereas carbon fiber is enormously stiff and brittle, steel is relatively soft and malleable. That property of steel can actually be useful when designing crash structures because it can absorb a lot of energy.

Carbon polymer, race fans will know, tends to shatter in an impact. With an underlying steel structure surrounded by carbon fiber, Polestar and the Volvo Group had some work to do to ensure the car behaved properly during a collision.

The outcome of this first crash test validates the decision to build the body of Polestar 1 in carbon fiber,” said Zef van der Putten, Polestar’s head of carbon fiber. “It also confirms that carbon fiber supports the highest safety standards. This is an example of how Polestar spearheads the development of new technology in the Volvo Car Group.”
And while the Polestar 1 is still a few months away from landing in Polestar Spaces for your perusal, the test is a promising one for the young brand.

A version of this article first appeared on Swedespeed