Polestar is working with a number of suppliers on the development of a climate-neutral electric car. As part of the Polestar 0 project the company announced last year, Polestar has now signed letters of intent to collaborate with strategic partners from the metal, safety, driving systems and electronics sectors, including SSAB, Hydro, ZF, ZKW and Autoliv.
The aim is to unite companies across the auto supply chain to help the transport sector play its part in reducing climate impact, as well as to help the Swedish electric performance car company focus on Life Cycle Assessments of its current vehicles’ carbon footprints. These LCAs have helped to pinpoint the components and processes involved in producing cars that need to be reimagined to reduce and ultimately eliminate carbon emissions.
Nordic steel and metals producer SSAB intends to collaborate with Polestar on fossil-free steel, which could potentially replace not only conventional steel in a car but also other materials with significant carbon footprints.
Norwegian aluminium and renewable energy company Hydro intends to collaborate with Polestar’s experts on zero-carbon aluminium, while automotive systems supplier ZF intends to explore with Polestar how their innovation in electric powertrain and overall systems competence could eliminate carbon emissions and save resources.
Moreover, automotive safety supplier Autoliv intends to partner with Polestar on safety equipment such as airbags and seatbelts with zero emissions, with automotive lighting manufacturer ZKW also intending to team up with Polestar on 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,” said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.
Polestar has also announced an invitation to other suppliers, researchers, universities, entrepreneurs, investors, and governmental and non-governmental organisations, for possible collaboration. On top of the open call, Polestar will be reaching out to researchers from across the globe through SDSN, the world’s largest academic network, working in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
“We believe in the exponential development of climate solution technologies. 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,” said Hans Pehrson, leader of the Polestar 0 Project and former Head of R&D at Polestar.
“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.”
Polestar and its partners will focus their attention on the Polestar 0 project. Announced in 2021, this is Polestar’s industry-leading initiative with the goal to create a truly climate-neutral car by 2030 by eliminating emissions from the supply chain and changing the way that cars are made, rather than planting trees to offset CO2 emissions.
The Swedish electric car company says it decided to commit to this target because the transport sector is the fastest-growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sector, expected to reach a share of more than 30% of total GHG emissions in the future, according to the United Nation’s Environment Programme.
