Performance has traditionally been measured in numbers: horsepower, acceleration, cornering G-forces and lap times. But as electric cars increasingly level the field by delivering extraordinary levels of traditional performance, a new question is emerging: how do we measure what performance feels like to the human behind the wheel?
A new pilot study by researchers from the University of Oxford’s SDG Impact Lab, in collaboration with Polestar, has taken a first step towards answering that question. The study combined vehicle telemetry with heart-rate monitoring, eye tracking, psychological assessments and interviews to explore the relationship between what a performance car does and how the human driver responds.
Twelve drivers drove two versions of Polestar 4: Rear motor and Dual motor with Performance pack – in both calm and dynamic driving conditions at Gotland Ring in Sweden.
The pilot found that several measures were sensitive to changes in driving conditions and vehicle performance. During dynamic driving, participants blinked less, their pupils became larger and they held their gaze longer – patterns consistent with deeper attentional engagement. Vehicle telemetry could also be linked to changes in drivers’ physiological activation, allowing researchers to examine the driver’s response alongside what the car was doing.
The comparison between the two cars also revealed differences in how performance was delivered. On matched fast laps, the Polestar 4 Dual motor with Performance pack made use of its considerable power increase over the Polestar 4 Rear motor (400 kW/544 hp versus 200 kW/268 hp) to deliver greater peak performance and less steering effort on circuit: 32% higher peak acceleration while requiring 15% less steering effort. It also generated greater cornering loads and more frequent hard-acceleration events.
The drivers’ own assessments reflected a difference in the experience. On the study’s Performance/Dynamics scale, the Performance version scored 89.2 out of 100, compared with 67.7 for the Rear motor. It also scored higher for overall experiential quality, at 93.0 versus 77.9, with most drivers rating the Performance version higher on both measures.
However, the interviews revealed that the experience of performance was about more than physical intensity. Drivers described a combination of heightened bodily response, trust in the car, a sense of control and deep attentional engagement. Several independently compared the experience to a “controlled roller coaster.”
One participant captured the feeling by saying the car “makes you feel like a better driver than you are.” Researchers found that participants tended to associate the Performance version more consistently with this combination of thrill, trust and control.
Christian Samson, Head of Product Attributes at Polestar, says: “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.”
Max Klapow, Doctoral Researcher, Oxford SDG Impact Lab, says: “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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