Polestar has released the first Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for its 4 SUV-coupé, showing major reductions in its carbon footprint compared to the Polestar 2 and 3.

The LCA reveals that Polestar 4 has the lowest carbon footprint of all Polestar cars to date

The LCA reveals that the Polestar 4 has the lowest carbon footprint of all the brand’s cars to date – as low as 19.4 tonnes of CO2e at launch – thanks to its use of recycled materials as well as greener production processes.

The Swedish EV maker has been carrying out LCAs covering supply, manufacture and recycling on its models since 2020 and, somewhat uniquely in the auto sector, discloses full details. While its cars are zero emission at the tailpipe, they have a carbon footprint when they leave the factory and the brand says that providing transparent and practical information about the impact of a product enables customers to make informed decisions.

The ‘cradle-to-gate’ tests for the Polestar 4 have been carried out across all three variants. The Standard Range Single Motor, available initially in China, comes with a carbon footprint of 19.4 tCO2e. The Long Range Single Motor version has a carbon footprint of 19.9 tCO2e, while the Long Range Dual Motor has one of 21.4 tCO2e.

The low carbon footprint is partly the result of greener manufacturing processes at parent firm Geely Holdings’ SEA factory in Hangzhou Bay, China, where the 4 is produced. The plant combines green electricity that carries the I-REC hydro power certificate, with photovoltaic electricity from the roof. A higher use of low-carbon aluminium from smelters using hydropower electricity helps reduce the climate impact further. The lifecycle assessment also factors in data regarding the share of recycled aluminium for the first time.

Recycled and sustainable materials are also a key part of production processes. Aluminium represents 23-24% of the carbon footprint, while steel and iron constitute 20%, and battery modules account for the highest share of the carbon footprint of materials production and refining at 36-40%.

Fredrika Klarén, head of sustainability at Polestar, says: “To support our net zero goal, we set carbon budgets for all our cars. Throughout the product development of Polestar 4, its carbon budget has influenced everything from material choices to factory energy sources. Sharing the LCA enables us to show that we can strive for net zero – one tonne of CO2e at a time.”

Already launched in China, the Polestar 4 will head to Europe early 2024, joining the 2 electric performance fastback launched in 2019 and the 3 SUV that arrived late 2022. These will be followed by the 5 four-door GT and 6 electric roadster, providing a line-up of five performance EVs by 2026.

Polestar has previously said it plans to create a “truly climate-neutral production car by 2030”, eliminating emissions rather than offsetting them in its 0 project. The research initiative “also aims to create a sense of urgency to act on the climate crisis, by challenging employees, suppliers and the wider automotive industry, to drive towards zero”.

The carmaker will reveal further details about its future technologies and full model line-up at its annual Polestar Day. This takes place on 9 November 2023 in Los Angeles and will share how collaboration is shaping Polestar’s electric performance cars, now and in the future.