Volvos Unveils Concept Electric Sedan

Published: March 3, 2020, 8 p.m.

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About a year ago, Polestar \\u2014 the electric vehicle brand founded by Swedish automaker Volvo \\u2014 unveiled a compact car touted as a potential challenger to Tesla\\u2019s Model 3 in the still-young industry of mass-market electric vehicles.

The Polestar 2 debuted at the 2019 Geneva auto show with plans for the car to become available this year.

That\\u2019s still the plan, but the brand is also headed back to Geneva next month with a look at where it thinks it\\u2019s headed next.

Polestar this week introduced a concept sedan it\\u2019s calling the Precept, which officials characterized as a \\u201cmanifesto\\u201d for sustainable, high-performance automaking.

The vehicle features an advanced human-machine interface based on the Android operating system \\u2014 made by Polestar collaborator Google \\u2014 along with interior sensors capable of, among other things, tracking the driver\\u2019s gaze.

On the exterior, cameras and sensors replace the front grille, while camera-based technologies replace conventional mirrors, and a glass roof with a mounted LIDAR pod anticipates evolving driver assistance systems.

Polestar also touted a variety of sustainable technologies, including wing designs to improve its aerodynamics and range, and interior features comprised of more eco-friendly materials: panels made from flax-based composites, seats from recycled bottles, headrests from recycled cork vinyl, and carpets from reclaimed fishing nets.

The Precept is only a sign of Polestar\\u2019s ambition at this point, but the brand itself could be in for some upheaval of its own as Volvo and Geely \\u2014 its Chinese owner \\u2014 consider combining their operations into a single entity.

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