Callum says: Working with another brand means there will be some difficulties within the company. The challenge is to hide any similarities where possible: “To be fair to the design teams, they will be required to use many of the same components, such as touchscreens. However, for example, you should never use the same switch on the outer surface. We debated this between Jaguar and Land Rover. Although the mechanism of the switch may be common underneath, that’s okay, but their flexibility and feel should be different. These are areas that must be protected.”
What matters is how each brand expresses its philosophy. After all, sharing platform and powertrain is nothing new. The VW Golf R shares the same platform and engine as the Audi S3, with their design and character being a major differentiator. The market positioning of the former is not quite as advanced as the latter, although there are similarities underneath. Looking a little closer at the branding, a VW iD3 shares its platform and technology (down to its crappy infotainment system) with the Cupra Born — but the two brands’ images couldn’t be more different. apart. One presents himself as rational, while the other is athletic. To go further, Kia’s EV6Genesis GV60 and Hyundai’s 5 . ion they all share the same platform, raw dimensions and powertrains, but promise and deliver different experiences.
“Polestar is exciting because it is a very similar product to Volvo,” says Harrow. “I thought when the brand started, they were going to produce significantly different products. But with economies of scale and the ability to share platforms, the inevitable happens and they start to produce very similar vehicles.”
“What they’re trying to do is elevate Polestar a little bit above Volvo, to bring it closer to a premium brand,” says Harrow. “But the challenge for all these companies is how do you create a new high when all the products are the same? Materials are becoming less important. Digital innovation is much more important in a brand now. So we’re in a different territory.”
This brings us back to the main body of the EX90, its prominent, visible lid sensor. Considering what Volvo is all about, this comes as no surprise to Callum: “It’s Volvo’s attribute. They obviously do not affect safety. If that means putting a funny box on the roof to do it, they will.”
Similarities are certain to emerge as both Volvo and Polestar race to be the most sustainable, cleanest or greenest vehicle. But for Callum, this is where things get messy: “Two brands in the same space. One was created to be an electric version of the other, but now they both electricity. To be honest, I think they will face quite a challenge. Maybe Polestar has to focus on the fun, sportier side of life rather than the practical, family-oriented side of life.”
Harrow agrees and cites recently published pole star 6 as a first step in that direction. “Polestar had a pretty different idea of what a brand could be,” he said. “And as things progress, it could start to move away from Volvo. But I suspect at the moment, because they need to make a profit, it is inevitable that they are sharing a lot of products and product areas.”
