When Swedish automotive brand Polestar launched a design competition mid-2020, it didn’t expect the number of entries, what countries they were from, and the creativity behind the sketches.

The competition ran from 23 June to 26 October that saw amateurs working with professionals to create vehicles. The competition didn’t come as a surprise as Polestar’s CEO, Thomas Ingenlath, is a car designer and was previously Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Cars.

Polestar is jointly owned by Volvo Car Group and its parent company Geely. It’s headquarters is in Gothenburg, Sweden with production taking place in Chengdu, China.

Polestar recently launched the electric Polestar Precept sedan to take on Tesla’s Model S, and the Polestar 2, an electric fastback.  

Now the winners of Polestar’s first annual Design Contest have been chosen and their designs will soon embark on a global exhibition, being displayed virtually and in Polestar Spaces around the world.

The Polestar Design Contest invited both professional and student designers to create a vision of future mobility with the theme of “purity”. They were asked to present a new Polestar that exhibits the purest of designs; a vision of Polestar's evolution in the year 2040 that follows the Polestar design philosophy. Specifically, the vision did not need to be a car.

The winner of the professional category was Konrad Cholewka from Poland with his “Polestar MMXL” design – an inclusive, autonomous pod with a flexible interior design, pure in its combination of two geometric shapes. 

The student category was won by Siddhesh Bhogale from India with his “Polestar 40” design – an airship that looks ahead 20 years by combining Polestar design with a 21st-century aviation approach. 

An honourable mention went to Arthur Martins from Brazil for his “Spänning” electric yacht, the design of that showed the potential for an electric cruiser that offers a true alternative to conventional craft, just as Polestar cars do in the automotive world.

“We received an overwhelming amount of enthusiastic attention from inspired designers all over the world,” says Juan-Pablo Bernal, Senior Design Manager for Polestar, and the founder of the contest. 

“The designers produced very high-quality material, and we saw a very consistent expression of the Polestar design language.”

Hundreds of entries were received, from an international mix of designers – including submissions from India, South Korea, Japan, Germany, the United States, Sweden, Brazil, Poland, and China. Designs included everything from hypercars and Arctic exploration vehicles, to personal mobility solutions and watercraft.

Entrants first submitted sketches, which were assessed by Polestar’s design department. The 13 finalists were then invited to remote coaching and guidance from Bernal and Maximilian Missoni, Polestar’s Head of Design, where they were given expert advice and insight into the world of automotive design.

The final phase involved the shortlisted finalists creating fully realised digital models of their concepts which were then judged by the designer panel. 

“It was both inspirational and humbling to interact with so much emerging and experienced talent. The designs we saw evolve from creative sketches to 3D models show that the design world is a melting pot of exceptional individuals. We look forward to seeing these designers moving on to great things during their promising careers,” said Missoni.

The winning designs will now be brought to life as 1:5 scale models and first shown in a virtual exhibition before beginning a global tour in Polestar’s Spaces in China, Europe, and North America.