Polestar Reveals CO₂ Footprint Data for the Electric Polestar 5

Polestar has published the full CO₂ footprint of the Polestar 5, detailing emissions from raw materials to production and highlighting the role of recycled aluminium and renewable energy.

Polestar continues to emphasize transparency in the climate impact of its vehicles. The Swedish electric performance brand has published the full carbon footprint analysis for its upcoming four-door electric GT, the Polestar 5. The company has been releasing Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) for its models since 2020, and the new flagship now joins that growing portfolio of publicly available sustainability reports.

According to the report, the cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of the Polestar 5 is 23.8 tCO₂e. This figure covers emissions from raw material extraction through manufacturing and delivery of the vehicle. Polestar says such transparency allows the industry and consumers to better understand where emissions originate and where reductions can be achieved.

Material sourcing plays a central role in reducing the footprint. Aluminium is among the most carbon-intensive materials used in car manufacturing, prompting Polestar to change how it sources the material for the Polestar 5. In the new model, 13% of the aluminium used is recycled, while 83% comes from smelters powered by renewable electricity. According to the company, this approach avoids more than 14 tonnes of CO₂e per vehicle compared with conventional aluminium production.

LCA analyses indicate that vehicle materials and battery components account for a large share of emissions during EV production. For that reason, the facilities producing the Polestar 5 — including battery cell modules and key battery materials — operate using renewable electricity in order to reduce overall emissions.

The environmental strategy extends to the interior. The car incorporates composite materials made from natural fibres developed together with Swiss company Bcomp. The flax-based ampliTex composite serves as a bio-based alternative to carbon fibre, reducing the use of fossil-based materials by roughly 50% while also being around 40% lighter than conventional plastic composites.

Recycled materials are also widely used. Carpets are made from Econyl, a regenerated nylon created from discarded fishing nets and other waste materials, while textiles include recycled PET fibres. Circular design principles are also applied to the front luggage compartment, which uses a mono-material PET construction that combines recycled insulation with a renewable PET surface layer to simplify recycling at the end of the vehicle’s life.

Customers can also choose Bridge of Weir Nappa leather, a chrome-free option derived from a natural by-product of the food industry and processed using more environmentally conscious tanning methods.

Polestar emphasizes that sustainability does not come at the expense of performance. The four-door GT delivers up to 650 kW (884 hp) and 1,015 Nm of torque. Driving range is rated at up to 678 km under the WLTP cycle. Thanks to its 800-volt architecture and support for 350 kW DC charging, the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in about 22 minutes.

Across the vehicle’s full life cycle — including a driving distance of 200,000 kilometres and end-of-life recycling — the total carbon footprint is estimated at 28.5 tCO₂e based on the European electricity mix.

The Life Cycle Assessment for the Polestar 5 has been independently reviewed by consultancy Ricardo and published together with the full calculation methodology. Polestar argues that sharing such data openly can help accelerate the adoption of low-carbon materials, renewable energy and circular production practices across the automotive industry.