Gores Guggenheim : Polestar reimagines sustainable travel with KOJA micro space tree house

2022.07.05

ID: 655536

Polestar reimagines sustainable travel with KOJA micro space tree house

Polestar builds full­scale, inhabitable, realisation of design contest submission KOJA micro space tree house built using sustainable materials, reduces travel required to connect with nature

Part of 'House by an Architect' exhibition during the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale

Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand, is reimagining sustainable travel with KOJA*, a micro space tree house designed by Finnish designer Kristian Talvitie. The design received an honourable mention in the 2021 Polestar Design Contest. Preparing for the launch of the 2022 contest, Polestar decided to bring KOJA to life.

Built in the village of Fiskars, an art and design hub in southwestern Finland, KOJA is the first submission from the Polestar Design Contest to be realised in full­scale. KOJA is part of the 'House by an Architect' exhibition during the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale, open from May to September 2022.

"We were fascinated by the idea and how it translates our brand values into a different environment. That was key for us, and we were so impressed that we decided to build it," says Maximilian Missoni, Head of Design at Polestar.

A response to the 2021 Polestar Design Contest theme of "progress", KOJA redefines sustainable travel by reducing the need for travel in the first place, yet still brings people closer to nature. Attached to a tree trunk just below the canopy, the design maximises the treetop view with a panoramic glazed façade. A rich, immersive experience in a natural environment. KOJA connects to the growing micro space trend and this tree house is accessible for people who would otherwise take a much longer trip to experience the wilderness. KOJA encapsulates both Polestar design language and sustainability values, minimising the use of material and energy while maximising the experience.

"Most designers look at design from a user perspective," says the designer of KOJA, Kristian Talvitie. "I also look at things from the environment's perspective. There should be a symbiosis between the design and where it's encountered."

To translate the design into reality, Kristian Talvitie has been working closely with the

Polestar Design team in Gothenburg, Sweden, and with colleagues at Finnish design agency Ultra. Created from sustainable and durable materials such as locally sourced wood and wool, KOJA blends in with its natural environment and at the same time creates an eye­ catching contrast - much like Polestar's cars.

Ends.

*Koja [kåj`a], noun. A Swedish word meaning "hut" or "den". Shares the definition across multiple languages, from the German "Koje" to the Japanese "こや" (same pronunciation).

Notes to editors:

Polestar invites journalists to visit Finland and experience KOJA and test drive the fully electric fastback Polestar 2 this summer. Please contact us if you are interested to visit KOJA.

The Polestar Design Contest is a global annual design contest that invites both professional and student designers to showcase innovative thinking that encourages positive change in society. The 2022 Polestar Design Contest will be launched in July. The Polestar Design Contest is inspired by the wealth of creativity shared voluntarily by designers with the @polestardesigncommunityInstagram page.

Keywords:

Press releases, Illustration, Sustainability

About Polestar

Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC (Nasdaq: PSNY) ("Polestar") is a Swedish premium electric vehicle manufacturer. Founded by Volvo Car AB (publ.) (together with its subsidiaries, "Volvo Cars") and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd ("Geely"), in 2017, Polestar enjoys specific technological and engineering synergies with Volvo Cars and benefits from significant economies of scale as a result.

Polestar is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, and its vehicles are currently available and on the road in markets across Europe, North America, China and Asia Pacific. By 2023, the company plans that its cars will be available in an aggregate of 30 markets. Polestar cars are currently manufactured in two facilities in China, with additional future manufacturing planned in the USA.

In the US, the local Polestar office is located in the New York metro area, in Mahwah, New Jersey. Polestar Spaces have been opened in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Orange County, Calif.; New York City; Denver, Colorado; Boston; Central and Southern New Jersey; Dallas and Austin, Texas; Detroit; Minneapolis; Phoenix; Seattle; Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Connecticut; South Florida; and Washington D.C., with more to follow in Central California, the Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii.

Polestar has produced two electric performance cars. The Polestar 1 was built between 2019 and 2021 as a low­volume electric performance hybrid GT with a carbon fiber body, 619 hp, 738 lb­ft of torque, and an electric­only range of 52 miles (EPA) - the longest of any hybrid car in the world.

The Polestar 2 electric performance fastback is the company's first fully electric, high­ volume car. The Polestar 2 model range includes three variants with a combination of long­ and standard range batteries as large as 78 kWh, and dual­ and single­motor powertrains with as much as 408 hp and 487 lb­ft of torque.

From 2022, Polestar plans to launch one new electric vehicle per year, starting with Polestar 3 - the company's first electric performance SUV which is expected to debut in October 2022. Polestar 4 is expected to follow in 2023, a smaller electric performance SUV coupe.

In 2024, the Polestar 5 electric performance 4­door GT is planned to be launched as the production evolution of Polestar Precept - the manifesto concept car that Polestar released in 2020 that showcases the brand's future vision in terms of design, technology, and sustainability. As the company seeks to reduce its climate impact with every new model, Polestar aims to produce a truly climate­neutral car by 2030.

In early March 2022, Polestar revealed its second concept car, the Polestar O₂ electric performance roadster. Polestar O₂ builds on the design, technology and sustainability ambitions laid out by Precept and showcases the brand's vision for future sports cars. The hard­top convertible presents an evolution of the unique design language first shown by Precept and emphasizes a dynamic driving experience. The concept further develops the focus on sustainability and technology, aiming towards greater circularity.

Forward­Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release ("Press Release") may be considered "forward­ looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward­looking statements generally relate to future events or the future financial or operating performance of Polestar. For example, projections of revenue, volumes and other financial or operating metrics are forward­looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward­looking statements by terminology such as "may", "should", "expect", "intend", "will", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "predict", "potential", "forecast", "plan", "seek", "future", "propose" or "continue", or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward­looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements.

These forward­looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Polestar and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (1) Polestar's ability to maintain agreements or partnerships with its strategic partners Volvo Cars and Geely and to develop new agreements or partnerships; (2) Polestar's ability to maintain relationships with its existing suppliers, and source new suppliers for its critical components, and to complete building out its supply chain, while effectively managing the risks due to such relationships; (3) Polestar's reliance on its partnerships with vehicle charging networks to provide charging solutions for its vehicles and its strategic partners for servicing its vehicles and their

integrated software; (4) Polestar's reliance on its partners to manufacture vehicles at a high volume, some of which have limited experience in producing electric vehicles, and on the allocation of sufficient production capacity to Polestar by its partners in order for Polestar to be able to increase its vehicle production capacities; (5) competition, the ability of Polestar to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (6) Polestar's estimates of expenses and profitability; (7) increases in costs, disruption of supply or shortage of materials, in particular for lithium­ion cells or semiconductors; (8) the possibility that Polestar may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (9) the effects of competition and the high barriers to entry in the automotive industry, and the pace and depth of electric vehicle adoption generally on Polestar's future business; (10) changes in regulatory requirements, governmental incentives and fuel and energy prices; (11) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Polestar or others; (12) the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards; (13) risks associated with changes in applicable laws or regulations and with Polestar's international operations; (14) Polestar's ability to establish its brand and capture additional market share, and the risks associated with negative press or reputational harm, including from lithium­ion battery cells catching fire or venting smoke;

1. delays in the design, manufacture, launch and financing of Polestar's vehicles and Polestar's reliance on a limited number of vehicle models to generate revenues; (16) Polestar's ability to continuously and rapidly innovate, develop and market new products;

1. risks related to future market adoption of Polestar's offerings; (18) risks related to Polestar's distribution model; (19) the impact of the global COVID­19 pandemic, inflation, interest rate changes, the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, supply chain disruptions and logistical constraints on Polestar, Polestar's projected results of operations, financial performance or other financial and operational metrics, or on any of the foregoing risks; and (20) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward­Looking Statements" in Polestar's Form 20­F, and other documents filed, or to be filed, with the SEC by Polestar. There may be additional risks that Polestar presently does not know or that Polestar currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward­looking statements.

Nothing in this Press Release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward­looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward­looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on forward­looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Polestar assumes no obligation to update these forward­looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Media Contact

Donny Nordlicht [e-mail] Relations

Polestar

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JP Canton [e-mail] & Communications

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