Polestar 0 Project Will Build A Completely Carbon-Neutral EV By 2030

It's true that electric cars operate without pumping any noxious emissions into the atmosphere. However, it's also true that the manufacturing process for electric cars generally produces higher emissions compared to internal-combustion cars. Various reports claim the difference is either a little or a lot, but Polestar wants to wipe the slate clean on the manufacturing side. And the company has nine years to make it happen.

This isn't a government mandate or some other legislative action. Polestar set its own goal of a proper carbon-neutral EV by 2030, and the initiative is called Polestar 0. Yes, other automakers have plans in place to offset carbon emissions from manufacturing, but Polestar is taking a very different – and immensely challenging – approach. The company isn't simply proposing to offset its manufacturing emissions by planting more trees or through other carbon-credit activities. Rather, it wants to eliminate them.

"As an electric car maker, we don't have to worry about combustion engines producing toxic emissions, but that doesn't mean our job is done," said Fredrika Klarén, Polestar's head of sustainability. "Now we must focus all our efforts on cutting emissions in the supply chain and in the production of our cars. This is a historic and exciting time for car makers, an opportunity to seize the moment and do better. For the first time, we can dare to dream about a future with climate-neutral, circular, but still beautiful cars, and the human right of air that is cleaner to breathe."

It sounds good in theory, but what is Polestar's plan for making 0 Project a reality? Right now, there doesn't seem to be a plan aside from delivering full transparency on its processes and striving to find solutions. That said, going true carbon neutral seems impossible when factoring in the plethora of variables. Will suppliers also be carbon neutral? How about the basic process of stamping parts from steel or aluminum? What about all the petroleum-based products in everything from wiring looms to tires? And these are just normal production aspects, never mind EV-specific items like battery packs.

Looking at the big picture, this goal is indeed an overwhelming challenge. Still, one must start somewhere, and that's a tone Polestar ultimately adopts in its 0 Project announcement, which you can read in full at the source link below.