Words: Josh Lee
In association with:
Here, at Gentleman’s Journal, we’ve always been drawn to the pioneers of the world, the cadre of thinkers who see things through an original prism and are consistently driven by the notion of perpetually pushing the envelope in their field and beyond, whether that be in style, technology, hospitality or elsewhere. Which is why this year, we’re proud to announce the launch of our partnership with Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand that’s known for its design-driven, sustainable ethos.
“It’s great to be partnering with Polestar, as I’ve always been a fan of the brand,” says Gentleman’s Journal founder, Harry Jarman. “It still is essentially a startup, and we’re all about celebrating pioneers.”
Below, we give a rundown of Polestar’s illustrious history, why we’re partnering with the brand, and what makes them a leader in the pure-electric sector, and we also detail the series of events Gentleman’s Journal and Polestar will be hosting together, all of which will be done in the hope of moving forward the conversation about design and sustainability in the automotive world.
Polestar: a brief history
Founded in 1996, Polestar originally began life under the name Flash Engineering, a builder of Volvo’s race cars for the Swedish Touring Car Championship. During these early years, of which the venture saw several rebrands, the team accomplished notable technological and environmentally friendly advancements; in 2007, for instance, the company formulated an eco-minded bio-ethanol race engine for the STCC programme, a first among race teams. Eventually, such feats lead Volvo to fully acquire the brand in 2015 and invest fully into its operations.
Polestar 1
Now, as a standalone manufacturer of premium electric cars since 2017, and with headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, Polestar’s mission is to improve society by dovetailing design and technology to speed up the shift towards sustainable mobility. In 2017, Polestar 1, the debut car – a two-door, 2+2 seat Grand Tourer Coupé with an ‘Electric Performance Hybrid’ drivetrain, 600hp, and a range of 93 miles on electric power alone, which set an industry benchmark for being the longest full electric range of any hybrid car – was unveiled.
Polestar 2
Two years later, the curtain was lifted on Polestar 2, an electric performance fastback with contemporary Scandinavian design and up to 350kW, and late last year saw Polestar 3 revealed, a high-performance SUV that’s defined by its sporty build, sizeable interior, and low stance.
The latest announcement came earlier this month, with the sleek and refined Polestar 4, the second electric SUV in the line-up and also the fastest production car to date, with an ability to achieve 0–62mph in just 3.8 seconds.
Polestar 3
As part of its objective to create a sustainable society, Polestar is pioneering the way with several projects, such as its annual Life Cycle Analysis, an open-source formula that allows every Polestar sold as well as any car brand to fully trace the carbon impact that its vehicles entail throughout their lifespan, which, in effect, facilitates complete transparency with consumers.
Moreover, Polestar’s Pathway Report, published earlier this year, analysed the current state of the automotive industry and stated that collective action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is urgently needed, with a particular emphasis on encouraging all manufacturers to do better by working towards carbon neutrality.
And Polestar’s marquee eco-venture is the Polestar 0 Project, an innovative programme designed to create a completely carbon-neutral car by 2030, with no offsetting. Due to it being such a large and scientifically advanced mission, parallels have been drawn between this objective and that of the moon landing, in 1969.
Polestar 4
Polestar x Gentleman’s Journal events
This year, Gentleman’s Journal will partner with Polestar on two marquee events. The first, Goodwood: Gentlemen on the Road, will take place at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the ultimate summer showcase of the latest and greatest innovations from the automotive world, making it the ideal opportunity to highlight Polestar. As part of the activation, Gentleman’s Journal has selected a group of individuals who align well with the Polestar brand, all of whom will have unrestricted access to Goodwood’s glorious machines and the drivers who made them famous.
Polestar Design Studio
Then, both Gentleman’s Journal and Polestar will host the very first Gentleman’s Journal Live, a series of panel discussions, set over two days in October in a modern event space in Soho, London. The talks will span broad subject areas, such as art, entrepreneurship, hospitality, design, and sustainability, and will ask surprising and pertinent questions of its panels.
“It’s really exciting to be partnering with Polestar around Gentleman’s Journal Live, in October,” says Harry Jarman. “After all, it has long been a dream for us to bring GJ into a live space.”
Want more Polestar content? Read our piece on whether the Polestar 3 could change the face of SUVs…
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