Electrification is sweeping the automotive industry, and while it’s bringing incredible technology, power, and innovative engineering to the landscape, much of the purpose for transitioning towards electric vehicles is to combat the environmental impact of the emissions that come from combustion engines. However, environmental impact comes from more than just emissions, and even electric vehicles can create a significant carbon footprint through their manufacturing processes, materials, and logistics.
Polestar, the young Scandinavian manufacturer of electric luxury cars, is committed not only to end-to-end sustainability but also to being transparent about its approach to environmental sustainability. As the new Polestar 5, the brand’s luxury performance four-door grand tourer EV, enters the market, Polestar has published its cradle-to-gate carbon footprint through a full Life Cycle Assessment for the model, as Polestar has done for its entire lineup.
For the Polestar 5, the carbon footprint is 23.8 tCO₂e, all the way from the raw materials to its delivery to the customer. Citing raw materials as the most significant avenue through which to reduce emissions, Polestar uses 13 percent recycled aluminum for the 5, and 83 percent of the aluminum comes from smelters that are powered with renewable electricity, reducing the carbon footprint of the 5 by 14 tCO₂e per car compared to conventional aluminum sourcing methods.
In addition, the facilities where the Polestar 5 is produced, as well as the battery materials, operate on renewable electricity, while the use of a flax-based alternative to carbon fiber called ampliTex™, Econyl carpets made from recycled materials, and an available Bridge of Weir leather upholstery with chrome-free tanning that is sourced as a by-product of the food industry all contribute to a reduced carbon footprint for the luxury performance grand tourer.
Combining luxury with responsibility, the new Polestar 5, which boasts 884 horsepower, a driving range of over 400 miles, and 800-volt architecture for fast charging, represents an ambitiously sustainable future for the automotive industry, in which luxury, performance, and mindfulness towards the environment coexist. For Polestar, that mindfulness goes far beyond the emissions of the car itself and traces all the way back to the raw materials it’s made from, and the new publicly available life cycle assessment from Polestar for the new Polestar 5 transparently showcases that relentless approach to sustainability.
Image Source: Polestar
