The Polestar O2 is a concept EV with its own drone you can launch while on the move

The Polestar O2 is the latest concept vehicle from the electric automaker, and on top of a wealth of sustainable materials used in its creation, it has a particularly spectacular party piece involving a drone.

The two-door, fully electric sports car actually has four seats inside and its hard-top roof can retract, making it a convertible – as Polestar points out, you’ll be able to enjoy a more relaxing roof-down experience without the sound of a traditional engine.

No performance specs have been revealed for the Polestar O2 yet, but the company claims it’s “lively, light and full of confidence” and delivers “exciting, spirited driving” thanks to its bonded aluminum platform. 

Inside, recycled polyester is the only material used for all the soft components of the cabin, while the different grades of aluminum used throughout the vehicles are clearly labeled, so they can be recycled effectively once the life cycle of the car has come to an end.

Tell us about the drone!

Okay – let’s get to the real reason you’re here. The drone. Yes, the Polestar O2 has its own cinematic drone – a concept in itself, built by Hoco Flow – which has been integrated behind the rear seats.

This drone (which you can see in action in the video above) can be launched via the central 15-inch touchscreen display in the car, and see’s the drone rise out of the body work and travel along a track at the rear of the vehicle to the launch pad. 

What’s even more impressive is this can happen while the car is in motion. Polestar’s engineers have created a unique aerofoil that rises up behind the rear seats to create a pocket of calm air for the drone to take off.

Polestar hasn’t revealed whether drone take off can only happen below a particular speed, but we expect you won’t be able to deploy it if you’re traveling very quickly.

Once in the air, the drone can autonomously follow your car at speeds of up to 56mph, and you have the choice of two different flight patterns, depending on the footage you’re wanting to capture.

There’s an atmospheric sequence which is best for a coastline cruise and gentler country driving, or you can opt for a more action-filled sequence for sportier footage.

Once you’ve finished filming, the drone can also return itself to the car, and you can edit and share the footage from the main display in the cabin when parked.

Will you be able to buy an EV with a drone?

As the Polestar O2 is a concept, it won’t go on sale. So, will we actually ever be able to buy a hard-top convertible Polestar (or any vehicle) with its own drone? It’s certainly not happening in the near future, as the firm has already laid out its plans for the next three vehicles in its growing all-electric line-up.

The current Polestar 2 will be joined by the Polestar 3 – the automaker’s first performance SUV – in 2022, with the compact SUV coupe Polestar 4 joining the pack in 2023.

Then, in 2024, we’ll get the four-door Polestar 5, which the brand says will be an evolution of its performance GT Polestar Precept concept which was unveiled in 2020.

Going by this timeline, it may be four years until we see the Polestar O2 transitioned into a road-worthy consumer vehicle – so maybe pencil it into your calendar for 2026.

It’s highly unlikely they’ll drone integration for any of the three upcoming vehicles, but Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath isn’t ruling anything out, saying the O2 concept “opens the door to our secret chamber of future potential. This is a taste of what we can design and engineer with the talent and technology we have in-house.”

Polestar 5 is being developed with a supercar-grade EV platform