Polestar, the luxury electric Volvo spin-off, has announced a collaboration to develop a “truly climate-neutral car.”
The Swedish manufacturer has signed letters of intent with companies that operate across the automotive supply chain including SSAB, Hydro, ZF, ZKW, and Autoliv to assess the carbon footprint of each of its vehicles across their life cycles.
Nordic steel and metals producer SSAB will look to collaborate with Polestar on fossil-free steel. This could potentially replace not only conventional steel in a car but also other materials with significant carbon footprints.
Similarly, Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company Hydro will work with Polestar on zero-carbon aluminium, while ZF will explore how to remove carbon from its powertrains and general systems.
Automotive safety supplier Autoliv will work with Polestar on safety equipment such as airbags and seatbelts, while automotive lighting company ZKW will explore climate-neutral electrical control systems and wiring.
“It was clear from the start that this is not a solo mission and we are very excited to present such a strong line-up of interested partners, all leaders within their fields. We are leveraging innovation and collaboration to address the climate crisis,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.
Polestar has also opened up the invitation to other suppliers, researchers, universities, entrepreneurs, investors, and governmental and non-governmental organisations who might be interested in teaming up.
“We believe in the exponential development of climate solution technologies,” says Hans Pehrson, leader of the Polestar 0 Project and former Head of R&D at Polestar.
“For this project, we must tap into solutions that are still in the innovation stage. Even more exciting is that the solutions we develop will not only benefit the automotive industry overall but help decarbonise manufacturing and society more widely as well. Wherever we look in the world we see materials like steel, aluminium, electronics and rubber. Imagine when we can make these materials climate-neutral to produce. Together, we can make the seemingly impossible possible.”
The collaborations are all focused on the Polestar 0 project. Announced last year, the 0 project is Polestar’s initiative to build a climate-neutral car by 2030 by eliminating supply chain emissions and changing the way cars are made, rather than simply planting trees to offset expected CO2 emissions.
