Polestar, the Swedish electric performance car brand, has signed up a further eight partners to the Polestar 0 project, the company’s goal to create a truly climate-neutral car by 2030. New collaborators in the project include Vitesco Technologies, Schloetter, Autoneum, Stora Enso, TMG Automotive, Gränges, Borgstena and Stena Aluminium. These companies join the 12 others that were announced in September 2022.
Hailing from countries including Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Finland and Sweden, they cover the areas of electrical inverters, electroplating, interior and exterior materials, renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials and wooden construction, coating and textiles, flat rolled aluminium, knit and woven materials, and recycled aluminium
The Polestar 0 project launched in 2021 with the belief that the car industry needs a full reset. While the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) eliminates tailpipe emissions, Polestar recognises the need to urgently address emissions that stem from production.
The ambitious aim of the Polestar 0 project is to eliminate all sources of CO2e throughout the supply chain. This ranges from the extraction of raw materials to material and vehicle production, delivery and end-of-life, without relying on misleading offsetting schemes.
Hans Pehrson, Head of the Polestar 0 project, said: “My conviction in the success of the Polestar 0 project is reaffirmed every time we meet with new collaborators. It’s clear that there is immense potential to tap into around the globe.
“Achieving the seemingly impossible is never a one-man show. It is only through collective action that we can achieve the breakthroughs that truly make a difference and find the transformative solutions that go beyond the car industry.”
Research around base materials is fundamental, making bio source and mining, followed by refining and man-made materials, the key to success. More partners, both from the academic and corporate fields are needed.
The search continues for partners on raw materials, bio-based chemicals, polymers, electric components, noble gases and other base material production. With a goal of delivering the car by 2030, solving the missing elements is critically urgent.
Earlier this year, Polestar announced that it delivered approximately 21,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2022. This brings the preliminary estimate for full-year global volumes to 51,500 cars. This is up 80 per cent year-on-year and an impressive performance from the brand that will be expanding its range widely in the coming years.
In 2023, Polestar anticipates global volumes to increase by nearly 60 per cent to approximately 80,000 cars. This will be led by strong Polestar 2 (pictured above) sales and later in the year the first deliveries of Polestar 3, the brand’s new electric sports utility vehicle (SUV).
