THE first ever EV with no rear window has launched in the UK, boasting a whopping 385-mile range and £60,000 price tag.
The manufacturer of the bizarre motor has insisted that it is not “innovation for the sake of innovation”.
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Swedish EV firm Polestar became a standalone brand in 2017 after splitting off from Volvo.
It first arrived in the UK two years later and has carved out a handy niche in the competitive luxury EV segment.
The company’s latest offering is heralded as a “step towards a new era of car design where traditional elements are reimagined”.
The Polestar 4 is its most radical model yet as the first mass-production passenger car to not feature a rear windscreen.
Instead, it will use a roof-mounted camera, intended to provide a wider field of vision than the traditional pane of glass.
The camera will provide a live feed of the road to the infotainment screen in the cabin in real time to compensate for the slimmed-down coupe style.
While reversing cameras have been industry standard for some years, this is the first time the rear window has been entirely eliminated.
The move has also allowed designed to give passengers extra headroom in the rear seats by pushing back the roofline.
The Polestar 4 is now on sale, retailing from £59,990 and boasting a chunky battery offering a 385-mile range.
But despite its economy, it’s still extremely sporty, with a 3.7 second 0-60mph time.
And that large battery can go from 10% to 80% in less than 30 minutes on a rapid charger and can hit 100% on a home charger in around 5 hours.
Ola Aldensjö, product manager for Polestar, said: “This isn’t just innovation for the sake of innovation.
“There are genuine motivations for taking this decision.
“Firstly, we are able to provide an improved line of sight for the driver.
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“The rear camera provides a much clearer picture of what’s going on behind the vehicle.
“This is also true for conditions that are usually problematic for the driver, such as when the light isn’t great or if it’s raining.
“The clarity is exceptional.”
It comes after Europe’s second-largest car firm halted production of an iconic model.
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