Researchers from the University of Oxford’s SDG Impact Lab worked with Polestar to measure how performance feels to the person behind the wheel. They used 12 drivers and 2 versions of Polestar 4 at Gotland Ring in Sweden.
The pilot study compared the Rear motor Polestar 4 with the Dual motor fitted with the Performance pack. Polestar 4 Performance makes 400kW against the Rear motor’s 200kW, and the drivers took both through calm and dynamic driving conditions.
Performance has traditionally been measured in numbers, such as horsepower, acceleration, cornering G-forces and lap times. Electric cars are levelling the field on those figures. This study set out to measure what performance feels like from the driver’s seat.
Researchers combined vehicle telemetry with heart-rate monitoring and eye tracking. They added psychological assessments and interviews with the drivers.
Polestar 4 Performance Against the Rear Motor
On matched fast laps at virtually identical pace, Polestar 4 Performance had 32% higher peak acceleration and needed 15% less steering effort. It also generated greater cornering loads and more frequent hard-acceleration events.
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Several measures responded to changes in driving conditions and vehicle performance. In dynamic driving, participants blinked less and held their gaze longer, while their pupils grew larger. Those patterns are consistent with deeper attentional engagement, and the researchers could link the telemetry to changes in the drivers’ physiological activation.
Drivers rated Polestar 4 Performance 89.2 out of 100 on the Performance/Dynamics scale, against 67.7 for the Rear motor. Overall experiential quality came in at 93.0 against 77.9, and most drivers rated the Performance version higher on both.
What the Drivers Said
The interviews showed the experience was about more than physical intensity. Drivers described a heightened bodily response and deep attentional engagement, along with trust in the car and a sense of control. Several independently compared it to a “controlled roller coaster”, and a participant said the car “makes you feel like a better driver than you are.”
Participants linked the Performance version more consistently with thrill, as well as with trust and control. The study suggests that feeling in control while pushing personal limits enhances the thrill.
Christian Samson, Head of Product Attributes at Polestar, said the aim was to understand “something that can’t be captured by a specification sheet alone”. “Working with University of Oxford allows us to look at performance through a different lens, connecting the engineering of the car with the experience of the person driving it,” he said.
Max Klapow, Doctoral Researcher at the Oxford SDG Impact Lab, said, “Performance is not simply about going faster. It is about giving the driver a sense of confidence and control through predictable vehicle responses. Our research takes a step towards measuring that human experience, by connecting what the car does with what happens to the driver.”
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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