Polestar has unveiled the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for its latest model, the Polestar 4, and it’s quite significant where sustainable mobility is concerned. The assessment not only underscores the brand’s commitment to transparency but also shows that performance and being green can go hand in hand.
Introducing the 2024 Polestar 4: A New Era of Electric Performance SUV Coupé
The Polestar 4’s LCA reveals a carbon footprint as low as 19.4 tonnes of CO2e at launch, making it the most eco-friendly vehicle in the Polestar lineup. The LCA measures the environmental impact of a vehicle from its inception to its production, excluding usage and end-of-life stages.
Manufactured at Geely Holdings’ SEA factory in Hangzhou Bay, China, the Polestar 4 benefits from a blend of green electricity as it utilizes I-REC hydro power-certified electricity, supplemented by photovoltaic electricity generated from its rooftop solar panels.
Polestar 4 | Photo: Polestar
The vehicle’s low carbon footprint is furthered by the use of low-carbon aluminium sourced from hydropower-based smelters. For the first time, the LCA also includes data on the share of recycled aluminium used in production. Aluminium accounts for 23-24% of the vehicle’s carbon footprint, followed by steel and iron at 20%. Battery modules represent the largest share, contributing to 36-40% of the material production and refining carbon footprint.
The Polestar 4 is initially available in China in three versions:
– Standard range Single motor with a carbon footprint of 19.4 tCO2e
– Long range Single motor with a carbon footprint of 19.9 tCO2e
– Long range Dual motor with a carbon footprint of 21.4 tCO2e
For the time being, details on the Polestar 4’s introduction in North America are limited to a USD $60,000 starting price.
Polestar 4 | Photo: Polestar
Fredrika Klarén, Polestar’s Head of Sustainability, emphasized the role of carbon budgeting in the development of the Polestar 4. She stated that the carbon budget influenced every aspect of the vehicle’s development, from material selection to energy sourcing for production.
Polestar has been publishing LCAs for its models since 2020, advocating for industry-wide transparency. The brand believes that the automotive sector should spearhead the transition to sustainable mobility. The LCA figures offer consumers a straightforward metric, aiding them in making informed decisions when purchasing a vehicle.
