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Polestar’s new car is an electric SUV — but its carbon-zero goal feels far away

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The conventional SUV is an environmental offender. ​​Research in 2019 found that the vehicles were the second largest cause of the global rise in carbon dioxide emissions over the past decade — eclipsing even behemoths like aviation and trucks. But Polestar aims to redeem the category, launching their third vehicle: Polestar 3. This is the company’s very first SUV — and it’s all-electric, as well as underpinned by some serious sustainability cred. I attended the launch last week and got an up-close look at it.

Sorry, but SUVs are popular

First, let’s address the elephant in the room. It’s an uncomfortable truth for environmentalists, but SUV sales are increasing. In 2021, SUV sales accounted for approximately 48% of the passenger car market in China. Also, in Europe, car buyers are shifting from hatchbacks and sedans to SUVs, representing 45.5% of the cars purchased in 2021. Of course, the US is the king of this market, with the vehicles accounting for 52.3% of sales.

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The reasons for this are varied. Car usage increased during the pandemic as an alternative to public transport. Car companies are also going all-in on higher-spend luxury vehicles to recoup the losses incurred during the delays caused by the silicon chip shortage. 

Or, simply put, people like SUVs. As Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath told us, “You can get in and out easily, you get great visuals from the higher seating, and you feel cool.” So in response, Polestar is on a mission to create what they call “The SUV for the electric age.” And it’s taking SUV lovers along for the ride toward a greener kind of vehicle. 

The Polestar brand launched in 2017 and is co-owned by Volvo Cars Group and Geely Holding. Beyond the obvious merits of an electric vehicle, the company is aiming even higher, planning to build the Polestar 0 — a climate-neutral car with zero carbon footprint —by 2030.

This is is a major task that extends far beyond electrification, and the Polestar 3 lays the groundwork. For example, aerodynamic efficiency increases through the front and rear aero wings to reduce drag. And, of course, the greater the aerodynamic efficiency, the greater the EV’s range. 

Materials transparency and keeping score

The interior upholstery of the Polestar 3 is stamped with text that will display the vehicle’s life-cycle assessment of carbon emissions once production begins — part of Polestar’s commitment to transparency. These CO₂ values will reduce year by year, the company says. Customers I spoke to at the launch liked this feature. 

Polestar was the first car to announce the use of blockchain to trace cobalt in its batteries. Head of Sustainability Frederika Klarén told us that this also extends to nickel and lithium sourcing.  

The company is also going all in on recycling materials and circular design, and has a goal of closed-loop circularity. In other words, it wants to reuse car parts to make car parts. But there’s room for improvement. For example, according to Head of Design, Maximilian Missoni, while cars can be picked apart, this is not always being done in the case of materials like aluminum.

Although let’s be clear, this car is no green martyr. It’s a good-looking vehicle that would catch the eye of any SUV owner. As one Polestar owner told me, “you can’t guilt someone into buying a €90,000 car.”