Polestar

Animal Mode

context

Animal Mode is a vehicle feature designed to maintain a safe interior temperature when pets are left inside the car. The system keeps the climate control active and displays a clear message on the center screen indicating that the animal is safe and the owner will return shortly.

The feature was developed in collaboration with Polestar’s R&D team and tested across Polestar 2 and 3 before reaching market release in Polestar 4.

challenge

Leaving a pet inside a vehicle introduces safety, legal, and public perception risks. The system needed to maintain a stable interior temperature, clearly communicate status to people outside the vehicle, prevent misuse or unsafe conditions and operate within battery and climate constraints. The feature required coordination between vehicle software, climate systems, battery thresholds, and the in-car interface. Clarity and reliability were critical. The interaction had to be simple. The communication had to be unambiguous.