Polestar 4 is produced in Geely Holdings’ SEA factory in Hangzhou Bay, China, which combines green electricity that carries the I-REC hydro power certificate, with photovoltaic electricity from the roof of the plant. A higher use of low-carbon aluminium from smelters using hydropower electricity helps reduce the climate impact further. In addition, data regarding the share of recycled aluminium has been included in the assessment for the first time.
Available initially in China, the Polestar 4 Standard range Single motor comes with a carbon footprint of 19.4 tCO2e. The Long range Single motor version has a carbon footprint of 19.9 tCO2e, while the Long range Dual motor has one of 21.4 tCO2e. Aluminium represents 23-24% of the carbon footprint, while steel and iron constitute 20%, and battery modules account for the highest share of the carbon footprint of materials production and refining at 36-40%.
Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar, says: “To support our net zero goal, we set carbon budgets for all our cars. Throughout the product development of Polestar 4, its carbon budget has influenced everything from material choices to factory energy sources. Sharing the LCA enables us to show that we can strive for net zero – one tonne of CO2e at a time.”
Polestar publishes full details of the carbon footprint of all its models. The Swedish EV maker says the car industry should be a driving force in the transition to sustainable mobility, and that transparency is a key enabler.
Polestar's Life Cycle Assessments, published from 2020, take into account a range of factors in a car's lifecycle, from supply to manufacture and recycling, and summarise the climate impact in one easy-to-understand figure. As a result, consumers can make quick and informed decisions about the purchase of a car. The LCA figures presented in this article show the car's carbon footprint from cradle to grave, including the materials used to manufacture the product, but excluding the use and end-of-life phases.
Source: Polestar