Polestar has teamed up with researchers from Oxford University’s SDG Impact Lab to put the thrill of driving an electric car under the microscope, with heart-rate monitors and eye tracking joining the usual checks on speed and acceleration.
The pilot study suggests there’s more to an exciting drive than how quickly a car gets around a circuit. Drivers described a mixture of physical excitement, trust in the car and intense concentration, with several independently comparing the experience to a “controlled roller coaster”. The researchers say electric cars have made the usual performance figures less useful for explaining how a drive feels. They can deliver rapid acceleration while doing without the engine noise, vibrations and gear changes that have traditionally helped make driving feel exciting.
