On this special bonus episode of Inside Content, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Anya Ernest, who leads app ecosystem innovation at Polestar. Our discussion dove deep into the evolution of in-car entertainment and how Polestar, as an electric performance vehicle brand, is redefining the driving and charging experience.
Anya walked us through Polestar’s pioneering journey—being the first to launch with Google built-in, integrating Google Maps, Assistant, and the Play Store directly into their vehicles. She shared a candid story of her nephews searching for TikTok and Instagram in the in-car Play Store, only to find it limited to traditional media apps at launch. This user behaviour was a critical driver in exploring new content capabilities.
A major early success was a collaboration with EasyPark, where the app automatically stopped parking charges when the car was driven away—demonstrating the power of vehicle integration via Android Automotive.
But perhaps most captivating was Polestar’s experiment with video content. Recognising the unique context of EV charging downtime, Anya’s team developed a simple video player app. By collaborating with public broadcasters like SVT and BBC they created a curated experience for different markets. Usage data revealed surprising insights, such as an average of 23 minutes per week of viewing in Sweden, and a user-friendly “bug” that allowed audio to continue playing after driving began—something users loved.
Anya was transparent about their learnings: “We’re not content producers. Our goal was to explore, learn, and pave the way for partners.” That’s exactly what happened—broadcasters like TV2 in Norway quickly adapted their native apps for in-car viewing, recognising the value of reaching EV drivers.
Looking ahead, while Anya couldn’t reveal everything, she hinted at exciting new initiatives and emphasised the importance of future partnerships. Meanwhile, her focus includes the Journey Log app, which aggregates anonymised trip and energy data to further improve user experience.
This conversation offered a vivid glimpse into how in-car entertainment is not justa feature—but an evolving platform of its own.
Key Topics Discussed:
● Polestar’s integration of Google built-in for enhanced vehicle intelligence
● Early lessons from customer usage of the Google Play Store in cars
● Collaborations with content providers to enable video viewing during EV charging
● Data-driven insights on in-car video consumption
● The strategic shift from experimental apps to supporting native content providers
● Future trends in automotive content and data-led experience design
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