18 sep 20
Fil d'Actus

Polestar calls on carmakers to be transparent about environmental impact

Polestar, the electric performance sister brand of Volvo, pledges to publish full details on the climate impact of its electric vehicles. The company aims to be the most transparent in the automotive industry.

Using its own analysis, Polestar found the new Polestar 2 leaves the factory with a 26-tonne carbon footprint. Compared to a Volvo XC40 with a petrol internal combustion engine, Polestar 2 has a larger footprint in the manufacturing phase, mainly due to the energy-intensive battery production process.

Once the EV reaches the customer, if charged with green energy, further CO2e emissions are negligible. After 31,000 miles of driving, the fossil fuel car surpasses the EV in total CO2e emissions.

CO2e or carbon dioxide equivalent is a term for describing different greenhouse gases (GHG) in a common unit.

One significant issue is that there is a range of different calculations used for Life Cycle Assessments by various car makers. Polestar is sharing its entire methodology and is now asking other car makers to open up and be more transparent.

“Fragmentation will only lead to confusion. Car manufacturers have to come together and be more transparent,” says Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar (pictured). “What we’re saying at Polestar is, as an industry, let’s help consumers make the right choice.”

Image copyright: Polestar

Authored by: Benjamin Uyttebroeck