2026.10.14

The anatomy of performance: can Oxford find a way to measure the thrill of driving?

The same car, on the same road, can feel very different depending on who’s driving. Which makes this a little more complicated than checking a stopwatch. Together with researchers from the SDG Impact Lab at the University of Oxford, we set out to better understand the thrill of driving and explore whether it can be measured. The anatomy of performance follows that work across four episodes.

Episode 1: can we put a number on the thrill of driving?

Before we head to the track, our host Babak takes us through what we mean by the thrill of driving and how we can study it. Over the series, he’ll take us from Gotland Ring to Portimão and Oxford, as we carry out tests, explore how drivers’ brains and bodies respond, and hear what the researchers find.

“We have to build a framework to do the measuring that can account for what's going on, not just in the body, not just in the brain, but in the mind as well.”

Maxwell Klapow, MPhil scholar, Oxford SDG Impact Lab

2026.02.05

Polestar 5 goes sub-zero

The public got its first glimpse of Polestar 5 on track last weekend. Only this was no ordinary circuit. And this was no ordinary Polestar 5. We look back at a standout weekend at FAT Ice Race, on a day when Polestar was arguably the coolest show in town.

De Polestar 2, Polestar 3, Polestar 4 in een besneeuwd landschap

2025.11.12

Driving an EV in cold weather: a how-to guide

Engineered in Sweden and tested in the harshest of winter conditions, snow and ice is a familiar setting for us. In this article, we will give you tips on how to maximise the range and performance of your Polestar during the winter months.

2025.01.24

From Concept to Car: Desert trials

A new car needs to stand up to the elements. Not just rain, snow, and wind, but harsh cold and blazing sunshine too. With drivers all over the world looking to Polestar for their next EV, each and every car with the star on its nose needs to perform flawlessly no matter what the elements throw at it. Performance can’t be left to sheer luck. Testing—and more testing—is the only way to make sure a car performs the way Polestar wants it to every time.