Oxford and Polestar pilot study measures how performance cars feel to drivers
A 12-driver Oxford–Polestar pilot used heart-rate, eye-tracking and vehicle telemetry to test whether the feel of performance can be measured, not just horsepower and lap times.
- 12
- 400 kW/544 hp vs 200 kW/268 hp
- 32% higher
- 89.2 vs 67.7 (Performance/Dynamics); 93.0 vs 77.9 (overall quality)
What Happened
Researchers from the University of Oxford’s SDG Impact Lab, working with Polestar, ran a pilot study at Gotland Ring in Sweden to connect what a performance car does with how its driver responds. Twelve drivers drove two versions of the Polestar 4 — Rear motor and Dual motor with Performance pack — in calm and dynamic conditions. The study combined vehicle telemetry with heart-rate monitoring, eye tracking, psychological assessments and interviews. The researchers say it is a first step toward measuring the human experience of performance, not just traditional numbers such as horsepower, acceleration, cornering G-forces and lap times.
- Vehicle telemetry alongside heart-rate monitoring
- Eye tracking
- Psychological assessments
- Interviews with drivers
- 400 kW/544 hp (Dual motor with Performance pack) vs 200 kW/268 hp (Rear motor)
- 32% higher peak acceleration and 15% less steering effort in the Performance pack
- Performance/Dynamics 89.2 vs 67.7; overall experiential quality 93.0 vs 77.9 (out of 100)
During dynamic driving, participants blinked less, their pupils became larger and they held their gaze longer — patterns the researchers linked to deeper attentional engagement. Vehicle telemetry could also be linked to changes in drivers’ physiological activation, allowing the researchers to examine the driver’s response alongside what the car was doing. The Performance version also generated greater cornering loads and more frequent hard-acceleration events. Drivers described performance as a mix of heightened bodily response, trust in the car, a sense of control and deep attentional engagement; several independently called it a “controlled roller coaster.” One participant said the car “makes you feel like a better driver than you are.”
“As electric cars redefine what performance can be, we wanted to understand something that can't be captured by a specification sheet alone: the human experience behind the wheel. 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.”
“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.”
The researchers emphasise that this was a feasibility pilot involving 12 participants. A larger study is required to establish the reliability and validity of the findings. The pilot nevertheless demonstrates the potential to combine vehicle data, physiological measures and driver feedback to better understand how engineering translates into the human experience of driving.
Previously from Polestar Automotive Holding
Polestar launched the Polestar 4 SUV in September 2026, describing it as a more practical electric sibling to its coupé. That model was announced with 1,680 litres of storage and dual-motor performance.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Polestar Automotive Holding's official releases.
Why this matters
The study suggests that as electric cars deliver more traditional performance, automakers may need to understand driver attention, trust and control as well as raw power. It affects how performance variants such as the Polestar 4 Dual motor with Performance pack are tuned and evaluated, though the researchers stress the 12-person pilot is only a first step.
Terms in This Story
- telemetry
- The automatic transmission of data from a vehicle or test system to a remote receiver for analysis.
- G-forces
- A measure of acceleration or deceleration relative to Earth's gravity, often felt by a driver or passenger during cornering or braking.
- feasibility pilot
- A small initial study designed to test whether an approach can work before a larger, more rigorous study.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.