Although Polestar is part of the Chinese Geely group and still shares some technology and platforms with Volvo, it has a greater degree of independence and autonomy than some subsidiaries. With a small team and a small but growing line-up, Römers says that “clarity is key” to plotting out its future designs. And while it would be easy for a designer to step into a company and instantly put their own stamp on it, Römers isn’t planning a revolution.
“I had a period of gardening leave [after leaving Audi] thinking about the brand and what to do,” he says. “My first decision is that it would be bad to do a design revolution, because the brand is so young.
I don’t want to make a revolution. I want to do a bold evolution built on our values. That’s a big challenge, no question. Our brand awareness is still growing, so we have to build on our existing design language.”
During his time tending his shrubs, Römers says he also had “the topic of performance in mind”. That’s always been a value of Polestar, but it will be ramped up in the future. “It’s a way to separate us from Volvo, to have a specific take,” he says.
“When I started, I had a close collaboration with the brand team, looking at sharpening the brand. So we really nailed the values of Polestar: design, performance and sustainability.
“So now, whatever we do is according to those values. That’s something you have to be pragmatic about. For example, when you’re looking at technology, you could put everything you have into a car, but then it’s ‘what do you stand for?’, so now we make decisions based on our values. Is it design-driven? Is it performance-oriented? Is it sustainable? That makes things easier and clearer.”
The next Polestar to go on sale will be the 5 super-saloon, a Porsche Taycan rival that has already been shown in production form. Römers must wait until the 7 compact SUV, now delayed until 2028, to launch the first car led by his design. But he’s already offering some hints.