Polestar says that scientists have raised the alarm about an increase in “climate denier bots,” the United Nations has warned that misinformation and dis-information are “delaying urgent action to ensure a liveable future for the planet,” and a report by the Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition reveals that X (formerly Twitter) ranked lowest out of the five major social media platforms for actions to limit the spread of misinformation3.

So, the Volvo Cars/Geely Holdings high-performance luxury EV brand has launched the Truth Bot on X created to help debunk the most common inaccuracies relating to climate change within the automotive industry. In late November in the lead-up to COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference in the United Arab Emirates running from November 30th to December 12th, the Polestar Truth Bot responded to climate myths on X using factual data. This includes the recent “Impacts of global warming of 1.5°C” special report from the UN’s IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and the “The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions” report from the IEA (International Energy Agency).

“The deliberate misuse of climate data is incredibly damaging,” said Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar. “Particularly now, in the lead-up to COP28, the conversation is muddied between fact and fiction. We believe that the opposite—a truthful use of scientific data—can be a powerful tool to help navigate climate action, and we encourage everyone to join us in spreading this on social platforms.”

Earlier in 2023, Polestar with U.S. EV startup Rivian initiated the New Pathway Report from Kearney, which sees a joint effort towards collective climate action within the automotive industry. A discussion panel held by Polestar today during COP28 is another contribution to the transparency debate.

Since 2020, Polestar has shared Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for all its models in production, including detailed reporting on emissions and climate impact, as well as information on material sourcing and supply chain traceability. As part of its vision for transparency in sustainability, the Swedish automotive brand announced the release of its latest vehicle LCA, and the first for its new Polestar 4. According to the company, the LCA reveals that the electric compact luxury crossover SUV coupe has the lowest carbon footprint of all Polestar cars to date—as low as 19.4 tons of CO2e.

The Polestar 4 will be produced starting this month in Geely Holdings’ SEA factory in Hangzhou Bay, China, which combines green electricity that carries the I-REC hydropower certificate with photovoltaic electricity from the roof of the plant. A higher use of low-carbon aluminum from smelters using hydropower electricity helps reduce the climate impact further. The latest Polestar LCA includes data regarding the share of recycled aluminum for the first time.

Available initially in China starting in early 2024, the standard-range single-motor Polestar 4 will come with a carbon footprint of 19.4 t CO2e. The long-range single-motor version will have a carbon footprint of 19.9 t CO2e, while the long-range dual-motor will carry a carbon footprint of 21.4 t CO2e. Aluminum represents 23-24% of the carbon footprint, while steel and iron constitute 20%, and battery modules account for the highest share of the carbon footprint of materials production and refining at 36-40%.

“To support our net zero goal, we set carbon budgets for all our cars,” said Klarén. “Throughout the product development of Polestar 4, its carbon budget has influenced everything from material choices to factory energy sources. Sharing the LCA enables us to show that we can strive for net zero—one ton of CO2e at a time.”

Polestar’s LCAs consider a range of factors in a car’s life cycle, from supply to manufacture and recycling, and summarize the climate impact in one easily understood number. The company believes this enables consumers to make quick and educated decisions when buying a car. The LCA figures stated in each LCA disclose the vehicles’ cradle-to-gate carbon footprint which includes material acquisition through the production of the product and excludes the use and end-of-life stages.

Founded in 1996 as Flash Engineering and later rebranded as Polestar Racing, Polestar was acquired in 2015 by Volvo Cars and is based in Torslanda, a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden. The company plans to offer a lineup of five performance EVs by 2026: Polestar 2, the electric performance fastback launched in 2019; Polestar 3, the electric SUV launched in late 2022; and Polestar 4, available in early 2024. Polestar 5, an electric four-door GT, and Polestar 6, an electric roadster, are coming soon, according to the company.

 

Gary Mason contributed to this article.