One of the key components in creating a responsive and agile driving experience in the new Polestar 1 is the extensive use of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP).
Producing an overall weight saving of 230 kg, most of the main body parts are constructed from the high-tech and light-weight material, making it a core contributor to the dynamic handling of the Polestar 1.
The Polestar 1’s carbon fibre body represents the first time that the Volvo Car Group has explored carbon fibre construction – an example of how Polestar acts as a technology spearhead for the Group. The Polestar Production Centre, which is currently under construction and due to begin full-scale production in mid-2019, is being specifically tooled to deal with the intricate nature of carbon fibre construction.
Carbon fibre components have been used extensively in the car’s structure, including the bonnet, boot lid, side panels, doors and the entire roof structure. “The ‘dragonfly’ is also made from CFRP,” says Christian Samson, Head of Product Creation at Polestar.
The dragonfly-shaped component plays an instrumental role in creating the Polestar 1’s reactive dynamics – it radically improves torsional stiffness at one of the critical points in the body structure, between the middle of the floor and rear construction.
“When you combine this strengthened framework with the super-strong body and roof structure, you get a stiff and communicative chassis which translates driver input into superb driving characteristics,” continues Christian Samson.
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20 June 2018
