Volvo, the automaker known for making some of the safest cars in the world, has created a new safer electric vehicle by incorporating the battery within the aluminum structure of its upcoming Polestar 2.
Enclosed in an aluminum case for protection and rigidity, the battery pack is fully housed within the floor structure of the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform. This approach not only reduces the risk of damage and stiffens the body, it also protects occupants by keeping the battery intact in the event of a collision. The entire package has also been tuned to cancel certain vibrational frequencies, acting as a damper to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH).
According to a Polestar (brand jointly owned by Volvo Car Group and Zhejiang Geely Holding) company statement, the battery set-up makes the structure more stable. The company states that it is the first fully electric vehicle to be crash tested, the first to feature new Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) technology, and the first to be fitted with new front-inner-side airbags within the group.
“Safety is of paramount importance for Polestar,” said Thomas Ingenlath, chief executive officer of Polestar. “We are directly linked to Volvo Cars and with that comes their famous reputation for outstanding safety technology. So, of course, Polestar cars are designed to be amongst the safest in the world and we are really proud of that.”
Polestar 2 also features a severe partial offset crash (SPOC) block, a solid aluminum block housed on the bottom edge of the front firewall on either side of the car. The SPOC block is designed to minimize intrusion of the wheel and other vehicle components into the passenger cabin or from heading toward the battery pack during partially offset frontal collisions. In the absence of an internal combustion engine, the Polestar 2 further increases safety with a new front lower load path (FLLP), a device similar to the SPOC block, that protects occupants and the battery pack from more direct front impacts.
In addition, the battery is protected by three shields. The first is a rounded, hollow aluminum bar designed to deflect or absorb the impact of anything and turn it upwards away from the battery pack. The second is a titanium plate, and the third shield is a shallow angle, solid aluminum extrusion to absorb the residual impact energy.
Polestar 2 has been recognized in the electric vehicle community as a rival to the Tesla Model 3, and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology for safety, efficiency, and comfort. Its AVAS even features unique, specially developed sounds that let pedestrians know when the car is moving.