Polestar has confirmed via its third Annual Sustainability Report that CO2 figures, per cars sold, has dropped by 8 per cent compared with equivalent levels in 2021. This in spite of increased sales for the Swedish EV manufacturer in 2022.
Last year, Polestar successfully delivered 51,491 cars to customers, a massive 80 per cent increase on the 28,677 models Volvo’s premium sister brand delivered in 2021, thanks in large part to updates to the Polestar 2 crossover and the world premiere of the Polestar 3 SUV. Tellingly, Polestar predicts that sales for 2023 could increase a further 80 per cent to 80,000 in 2023, following the official unveil of the Polestar 4 sedan later this year and the start of sales of the Polestar 3 during the fourth quarter.
Polestar 3
In reference to the 8 per cent drop – the second year in succession in which emissions levels were reduced during production – Polestar states that reduced average transport (i.e. deliveries and supply chains), high sales in markets with more renewable energy on grids, and efficiency-driven updates to the Polestar 2 are among the most significant contributing factors. Another key area is the change of supplier for the aluminum used in the 2’s wheels and battery trays, a move that alone is said to reduce emissions by up to 1.2 tonnes per car.
These emissions savings are impressive given its record-year of sales, though ironically, Polestar does admit that “absolute emissions have increased as a result of the scale-up.” This includes the inauguration of a new design studio in Gothenburg, big enough to house 120 employees.
In ante to that, Polestar’s plan to halve relative emissions by 2030 – which will include a truly climate-neutral car dubbed ‘Polestar 0’ – is said be progressing further with “over 20 leading players from various industries” recently joining ranks with Polestar for this venture. Collectively, the plan is to achieve carbon-neutrality across the brand’s production line – including mining and material refining, to overland and sea transportation – by 2040, an equivalent drop of 42.8 tonnes of C02 emissions per car sold in 2020 to ‘just’ 7.5 tonnes per car sold in 2040.
“We wear our emissions on our sleeve – measuring and scrutinizing every detail ensures we keep our eye on the ball,” Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar, explains in an official statement. “Electrification alone is not enough and pure EV-makers like Polestar have a lot of work ahead of us. Our focus remains unchanged as we double down on cutting emissions in our supply chain.”
You can check out Polestar’s 2022 Annual Sustainability Report in its entirety here.
