Polestar is edging closer to making an environmentally-friendly car the likes of which we are yet to see. A year ago Polestar said that it wanted to build a car with a lifetime of zero carbon emissions, from production to the scrap yard, by 2030. Now, it's confirmed five companies that will help make this happen by developing the parts for the upcoming Polestar 0.
While concrete information on Polestar 0 is still sparse, the plan sounds like a good one. Concerns over the environmental impact of building EVs have caused some to question whether they're any better for the planet than traditional internal combustion engine-powered cars.
That's something a recent Yale study pretty emphatically put to bed — concluding the lifespan emissions of an EV are said to be minuscule in comparison with old-fashioned cars — but Polestar wants to go further.
While the traditional method of offsetting carbon use is to plant trees, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath says that's a "cop-out." The company would rather go beyond that and deal with the problem at source, and wherever possible do away with carbon emissions from the minute production begins. The result will be Polestar 0.
To get the Polestar 0 project off the ground, the automaker has enlisted the help of SSAB and Hydro, two companies that will work on fossil-free steel and zero-carbon aluminum, respectively.
Meanwhile ZF will work on more efficient powertrains, while ZKW will be the company tasked with creating climate-neutral electrical systems and wiring. Autoliv rounds things out and will help Polestar with zero-emission safety kit including airbags and seatbelts.
All of this will help Polestar create an EV that's like no other, building on the benefits of driving something like a Tesla Model 3 or the Polestar 2. A car that's truly carbon-free is the next step for the world of EVs and Polestar seems determined to be the first to get there.
If Polestar manages to do that then other EV makers will surely follow suit, and that could spark a true EV revolution, while perhaps killing the gas-powered car forever.
As an aside, check out our guide on whether you should buy or lease a car.
