automotive

Polestar Brings Prime Video To In-Vehicle Entertainment


Photo Credit: Tanya Gazdik

Polestar is adding Prime Video to its in-vehicle entertainment options. 

The company, which was acquired by Volvo in 2015, was the first automaker to bring Google’s Android Automotive OS with Google built-in to its Polestar 2 model when it launched in 2019,

Prime Video joins YouTube, which launched in Polestar 2 in June 2023.

Since its launch, Polestar and related suppliers have continually released useful apps for the car, including Waze, EasyPark, A Better Routeplanner, AccuWeather, Range Assistant, Journey Log and the Performance app for dual-motor cars.

Polestar 2 has also featured the Vivaldi web browser since December 2021, unlocking web access to other entertainment services that may not yet have a native in-car app.

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“The successful launch and integration of Android Automotive OS in Polestar 2 has proven that we can leverage the best navigation and voice control in the business to make life with a Polestar easier,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, in a statement. “The Google Play Store has also gained a rich variety of apps that offer interactivity and entertainment, from playing games to streaming series.”

The launch and ongoing development of Android Automotive OS in Polestar 2, which was done in close collaboration with Google, has laid the foundations for Polestar’s forthcoming cars. 

The brand continues to target the top 25 EV markets in North America, says Gregor Hembrough, head of Polestar North America. Polestar’s current footprint takes care of about 85% of the EV demand in the North American marketplace, he adds.

He said that while Polestar would continue to capitalize on its strategic alliance with Volvo and its dealers for service and procurement/logistics, the brand is leaning away in some respects. 

“The strategic alliance with Volvo is fantastic,” Hembrough told the media at a recent event. "But there is a point that the Polestar DNA has to start being its own DNA.”

A Polestar-exclusive global R&D facility in Coventry, U.K. is developing the forthcoming Polestar 5 (a $100k+ luxury sport GT 4 door beginning production in 2023) and Polestar 6 (a $150k+ luxury 2+2 roadster beginning production in 2026.) Both will have 300+ miles (483 km) of target range and offer 880 hp. 

“These cars are actually started from the first pen with a Polestar design, but every single attribute in the product from the engine to the platform to the powertrain or whatever it might be, is Polestar exclusive,” Hembrough says. 

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