[Nick]

Just read this recent review of the upcoming Polestar 4 - featuring no rear windscreen and instead, a digital camera with a feed to the "rear view" mirror.

Is this innovation for the sake of innovation?
Form over function?
Madness or the future? Or both!

Interested to hear what you all think as technology in our cars is bound to move in directions that feel unfamiliar for quite some time. How quickly can people adapt?

The new car missing something you didn't think you could drive without

[Rolebama]

I have driven vans with no rear window, and cars with big lads across the rear seat, so no visibility, and I don't really see a problem. As to why, it is probably a lot cheaper to fit a thin steel sheet, a bit of wire and a digicam than formed steel, glass and hrw, along with rear windscreen wiper and associated switch and wiring. Most cars seem to come with a screen now, so additional justification? FWIW my Android after-market screen automatically shows reversing screen on selecting reverse, so all I have to do is fit the wireless camera system I bought a while ago.

[Drivingforfun]

I agree that most people can drive without a rear window, but my argument would be, why?

In a van there's a valid reason to omit it and van drivers learn to adapt, same when you have a boot full of stuff, it makes you drive more consciously to the tip or wherever, but the average parent driving to school with 3 kids screaming at each other in the back can be oblivious to an ambulance behind them now, removing a chunk more of that vague chance they might notice the blue lights seems dodgy to me

[Nick]

The quotes in the article seem to suggest it was primarily design driven - they wanted to get down from the roof differently, meaning the rear window would be very narrow/shallow. I guess the camera feed to the rear view mirror/device would still alert the driver to things happening behind in the same way the mirror would through the rear window - there may be even not be any noticeable difference - I'd be interested in having a go - I quite like Polestars anyway so maybe a test drive 😀

[olduser]

With a window, and rear view mirror the driver can move their head, and cover a much wider view I have not seen a rear-view camera that will do that.

When I worked on meter inspections, I had to go into, and park in many housing estates, and streets.
There was a big safety issue with kids, kids hiding behind, around and under vehicles can be dealt with but kids on bikes were a different problem, in the time it takes to get in and drive off (or reverse to drive off) they can be anywhere.

One year the company cars were replaced with vans, the number of incidents increased to the point where the company decided it was cheaper to end the lease on the vans and replace them with cars.

I would argue, it is almost as important to to be able to see and interpret what is happening behind and around, as it is to see forward.
Legally the guy that rear ends me is at fault but morally I should be trying to avoid it.

[NMNeil]

It seems to be full of useless, expensive and possibly prone to breakage gimmicks.
https://www.polestar.com/us/polestar-4/
Anyway, here in the US you don't need a rear windscreen but you do need rear view mirrors. Maybe the UK road traffic act is the same.

[olduser]

I have no doubt, I could drive a vehicle with a blindfold on, and the passenger telling me where to go but I wouldn't want to because it would be clearly unsafe.

I would argue, all round vision is essential because driving is a co-operative process, this may be very old fashioned in this, 'me' world.
To drive safely we must cooperate with other drivers, to help each other to make progress.

Vans without rear windows can getaway with this because the driver can (or should) make allowances for the lack of rear view, and some other road users (the ones that are paying attention) make allowances for the van.
But in accepting this we are accepting a compromise.

I know, I have avoided, or minimised damage due to rear end shunts, by being aware of vehicles close behind me, and pedestrians, cyclists, mopeds etc, who love to hide in the external mirrors blind spot, who may have been compromised if I had not known they were there.

[Rolebama]

I look forward to the day when A posts and door window frames become thinner. I find it particularly stupid when designers make them so wide. Driving around the suburbs, I have, on a few occasions had to stop in the middle of a right turn because in that fraction of time when vision is blocked, something has appeared. Bearing in mind that parked cars obscure most roads right up to junctions, and in too many instances cause moving traffic to the wrong side, or the middle of the road.
I don't remember this problem on earlier cars with more upright windscreens.