Polestar customers value eco ethics

WHEN Polestar set the ambitious target of producing a climate-neutral car by the end of the decade, it did so with a level of accountability that was quite simply unheard of in the automotive manufacturing space.

Since 2021, the Sino-Swedish manufacturer has worked to ensure a transparent approach to its goals, annually reporting on its progress across fields including materials sourcing, circularity, and human rights.

Impressively, the Polestar 2 is now 85 per cent recyclable, which Polestar Australia managing director Scott Maynard says has become an important USP (unique selling point) in the eyes of the environmentally savvy buyer.

“We really do hear it directly from customers. We also hear customers say that they have moved to Polestar because it’s a vote against a competing brand that has done something they don’t like,” he explained.

“They will tell us openly that ‘we will buy your car because the brand we wanted to buy, that we thought had solid credentials, doesn’t recycle their batteries, or still uses batteries that are not serviceable’.

“Our customers say it is important to them that Polestar is doing something the others aren’t – and it strengthens our resolve to continue.”

Speaking to GoAuto at the local launch of the Polestar 3 in Tasmania this week, Mr Maynard said the third-party endorsement of Polestar’s environmental practices was understood and valued studious buyers aware of the green washing tactics practiced by rival OEMs.

“Buyers are educated. They are aware that other OEMs do not always share the methodology behind their claims. They know that there are those who low-ball their numbers. They know that they are not endorsed by a third-party like the Ricardo group,” he stressed.

Corporate sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) experts Ricardo critically reviewed Polestar’s assessment of the Polestar 3 in accordance with ISO 14067:2018. It was the first time a Polestar report has been reviewed by a third party, and showed the OEM was forthright in its assessment of the model’s environmental footprint.

Ricardo’s LCA report shows that material production and refining contribute 68 per cent of the Polestar 3’s cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of which aluminium represents 24 per cent, iron and steel 17 per cent, and battery module production 24 per cent.

The LCA was calculated using three different electricity mixes and a 200,000 km lifetime distance driven.

The methodology to assess the electricity in use phase includes what Ricardo describes as “more realistic scenarios from the IEA (International Energy Agency)” which take into account increased shares of renewables, underscoring their potential for reducing the car’s emissions during the use phase.

For the first time in any Polestar LCA, vehicle maintenance is also included in the calculations.

The car’s cradle-to-grave carbon footprint ranges between 28.5 and 44.5 tCO2e depending on the electricity used to charge the vehicle during its lifetime.

The approach to meeting the ambitious cradle-to-gate target for the Polestar 3 took learnings from the carbon footprint reductions of Polestar 2.

Consequently, 81 per cent of Polestar 3’s total aluminium mass production, the li-ion battery cell module production as well as anode and cathode material production use 100 per cent renewable electricity.

By doing this, 8.5 tCO2e have been eliminated.

“Ricardo is world-renowned for our expertise in life cycle assessment,” said Ricardo head of life cycle assessment Sam Hinton.

“We are proud that our client, Polestar, trusted us to support their commitment to helping their customers make informed decisions when choosing their next electric vehicle, by gaining our expertise in critical review and independent assurance of their LCA.”

The Polestar 3 LCA can be found here.