Polestar x Dutch Design Week: Rethinking materials with Maria Uggla
Maria Uggla, Head of Colour and Material Design at Polestar, discusses material experimentation, the challenge of bringing new ideas into production, and our partnership with Dutch Design Week.
The power of a designer is to create desire for the right choice, the choice that points in the right direction.
Choosing a material is only the beginning. For Maria, the challenge is making it desirable and bringing it into production. It can project modern performance and premium luxury. The challenge is packaging the right choice in a high-quality, new and interesting design,” says Maria.
Material selection takes research and experimentation. “Polestar Design creates momentum by challenging the conventional. We work closely with suppliers, engineers, and our sustainability team to bring innovative materials into production,” Maria explains. “Creating a concept car like the Polestar Precept is the easy part. The real challenge lies in scaling bio-based, recycled, and lower-impact materials for series production.”
That work is reflected in Polestar 4 SUV. Low-carbon and recycled materials help give it one of the lowest cradle-to-gate carbon footprints in the Polestar line-up, measured from raw material extraction through production.
All materials have hidden potential to turn into a luxury expression and we help reveal them.
From flax to finish
But how does this work in practice? We asked Maria for a concrete example. “Bcomp,” she replied without hesitation.
Developing new materials means balancing long-term research with the requirements of cars in production today. Designers need materials that can be sourced, manufactured and used at scale. That challenge helped bring Polestar and Bcomp together.
Founded in Switzerland in 2011, Bcomp develops high-performance flax-fibre reinforcement fabrics. Its early work in the skiing industry was followed by a partnership with Polestar.
At first, the material’s raw appearance didn’t suit the finish Polestar’s designers wanted. The team began experimenting with the weave, exploring how it could become a visible part of the interior.
Through extensive trial and error, a new weave design emerged. It offered an alternative to traditional expressions of luxury such as leather and veneered wood. “There are enormous possibilities in exploring and creating new expressions when working with new sustainable materials,” Maria says.
Room to experiment
Art, like a concept car, provides space to experiment with new materials before they reach production. Polestar explored Bcomp’s flax-based composites in the Precept concept car. The material also featured in We Harvest Wind, an installation created with ecological artist Thijs Biersteker.
Both projects helped inform the Polestar Signature Weave, which has since found its way into Polestar 5.
Materials on display
“Dutch Design Week strengthens the power of design by connecting with designers who focus on the design of the future and the future of design,” explains Vincent van Herk, Head of Development at Dutch Design Week.
For Polestar, the partnership provides a place to share the work behind its material choices. “At Polestar, design serves as a key driver for sustainable innovation. Our collaboration with Dutch Design Week allows us to demonstrate how intentional design can accelerate industry-wide change,” Maria adds.
At Dutch Design Week, visitors can explore the materials used in Polestar cars and the impact of choosing them. Sometimes having a smaller footprint means big things.
