Hands on with Polestar's Android Automotive OS infotainment system

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Walking into Dogpatch Studios on San Francisco's east side, the Polestar 2 sits in the center of the stark industrial space, its 20-inch Continentals resting on the bare concrete floor. The all-electric hatchback sedan, which Polestar says will offer 275 miles of range, is dressed like a Stormtropper; Snow White paint, matte black grille, dark wheels and trim.

A spinoff of Volvo, Polestar calls itself an "electric performance brand", and the Polestar 2 will rival the Tesla Model 3. It was first revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and this the first time it's being shown in the United States. It's striking in the flesh with tight proportions and a powerful, purposeful stance.

Today, however, the star of the show is inside the car. We're here to get our first taste of the brand's new embedded Android Automotive infotainment system that has been developed in partnership with Google, featuring Google Assistant, Google Maps and apps available in the Google Play store.

The system will debut in the Polestar 2 when deliveries begin this time next year. The Polestar 1, a limited production hybrid coupe, will come a few months earlier, but it will use the same system and interface used in Volvo's current sedans and SUVs. Both cars will be built in China.

Although Google is working with many other automakers, the Polestar 2 will be the first car to get this system in its entirety. FCA, Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi are also currently working with the tech company and will use its open source operating system in future models, however, Polestar will be the first to use its platform as well as offer its applications and services.

Audi offered Google Earth in its navigation system for years, but didn't use Google's platform to support it, and Haris Ramic, the lead product manager for Android Automotive, says that became a problem. "Google Earth with the operating system underneath just wasn't scalable," he says.

Ramic admits Tesla has been an inspiration, but the system's entire interface was designed in house at Polestar, including all the graphics, menus and its massive 11-inch touchscreen, which replaces the car's center stack. It's similar to the design found in the Model 3, however, unlike the Tesla's screen, the Polestar's unit is mounted vertically, which Maximilian Missoni, Polestar's Head of Design, says is better to display maps and lists.