With the full publication of the Polestar 5’s carbon footprint, the Swedish brand is pushing environmental transparency even further and demonstrating how recycled materials and renewable electricity can significantly reduce the climate impact of an electric vehicle.
- The carbon footprint of the Polestar 5 is estimated at 23.8 tonnes of CO₂e.
- The use of recycled aluminum and aluminum produced with renewable electricity avoids approximately 14 tonnes of CO₂e per vehicle.
- Polestar remains the only automaker to publish the complete carbon footprint of all its models.
Climate Transparency Becoming the Norm at Polestar
Polestar continues to expand its strategy aimed at increasing environmental transparency in the automotive industry. Since 2020, the automaker has published full Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for each of its vehicles to better illustrate the true climate impact of its models. This initiative now covers the entire lineup, including the Porsche Taycan fighter, the new Polestar 5, a four-door electric GT sedan.
2026 Polestar 5This assessment details emissions generated from raw material extraction through vehicle production and delivery to the customer, a metric known as “cradle-to-gate.” For the Polestar 5, this carbon footprint reaches 23.8 tonnes of CO₂.
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By making these figures public, Polestar aims not only to inform consumers but also to encourage the entire automotive industry to better understand where emissions originate in vehicle manufacturing.
Aluminum: A Key Lever for Emission Reduction
Aluminum production is traditionally one of the most energy-intensive processes in vehicle manufacturing. To reduce this impact, Polestar has fundamentally rethought how this material is sourced for the Polestar 5.
As a result, 13% of the aluminum used is recycled, while 83% comes from smelters powered by renewable electricity. This strategy avoids more than 14 tonnes of CO₂e per vehicle compared with conventional aluminum sourcing.
2026 Polestar 5According to Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar:
“You cannot reduce what you don’t measure. Making the carbon footprint of a car visible helps focus the industry on where emissions occur, particularly in materials and manufacturing. That transparency is essential if we want to scale the low-carbon materials, renewable energy and circular solutions needed to reduce the climate impact of cars.”
Production Powered by Renewable Energy
Renewable electricity also plays a crucial role in reducing the carbon footprint of the Polestar 5. The facilities responsible for assembling the vehicle, as well as those producing battery cell modules and key battery materials, operate using renewable electricity.
This approach significantly lowers the emissions associated with vehicle production and the manufacturing of critical electric components.
Innovative Materials for a More Sustainable Interior
The Polestar 5 goes beyond industrial optimization. The vehicle’s environmental footprint is also reduced through the use of innovative materials inside the cabin.
Among them are natural fibre composites developed with Bcomp. Their ampliTex technology, based on flax fibres, provides a bio-based alternative to carbon fibre, using 50% fewer fossil-based materials while being up to 40% lighter than conventional plastic composites.
2026 Polestar 5Other recycled materials are also integrated, including Econyl carpets made from discarded fishing nets, as well as textiles composed of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Circular design even extends to the front storage compartment, which uses a mono-material PET structure combining recycled insulation with a recycled PET surface layer to facilitate easier recycling at the end of its lifecycle.
Customers who prefer leather can also opt for Bridge of Weir Nappa leather, which is chrome-free and sourced as a natural by-product of the food industry while meeting strict animal welfare standards.
Performance and Sustainability Can Coexist
Despite its focus on emissions reduction and sustainable materials, the Polestar 5 remains a high-performance vehicle. The electric GT sedan produces up to 650 kW (884 horsepower) and 664 lb-ft of torque. Estimated driving range reaches approximately 575 km under the EPA cycle.
2026 Polestar 5Thanks to its 800-volt electrical architecture and DC fast-charging capability of up to 350 kW, the battery can charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 22 minutes.
With the detailed publication of its carbon footprint, Polestar aims to demonstrate that an electric vehicle can combine environmental transparency, industrial innovation, and high performance, while encouraging the broader automotive sector to follow a similar path.
