Polestar sets bar on carbon transparency

Polestar is introducing Life Cycle Assessments for each of its models, providing full transparency of their carbon footprint through the life cycle of the car.

Covering everything from supply to manufacture to recycling, the LCA summarises the car’s climate impact in one single number, enabling consumers to make quick and educated decisions when buying a car.

Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, said: “Car makers need to take full responsibility. Every week, we see a new announcement that an auto maker is changing direction towards electrification. But going electric alone is not enough. Making cars electric is not the end game, it is a starting point. We need to be honest and transparent.”

Polestar is now urging industry to provide similar transparency to rebuild consumer trust; recent research proves that only one in four consumers trust car manufacturers to be transparent and to operate in the best interests of society, and that over half of consumers demand more transparency and the ability to compare CO₂ footprints between cars.

Fredrika Klarén, head of sustainability at Polestar, said: “We are working towards net zero production emissions, but our LCA shows that Polestar 2 is already a climate solution. EV technology provides a car with less than half the carbon impact of an equivalent petrol car if charged with green energy.”