Polestar pushes for greater environmental focus in NEV sector

Swedish premium electric performance carmaker Polestar has called for the electric vehicle segment to sustain a focus on environmental protection throughout the entire production chain, rather than chase sky-high market valuations.

At the ongoing Shanghai auto show, Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, said the industry is in danger of becoming a plaything for speculators and risks losing its focus on making the most significant contribution to climate change.

"It frankly amazes me that there are companies out there that are worth billions of dollars and have never made a car. I would like to state clearly that the electric mobility revolution needs to be grounded in reality, not dreams,"Ingenlath said.

"The more speculative the EV sector becomes, the deeper our responsibility is to make sure that we stay grounded in the actual business of making the cars that will revolutionize the industry," he said.

Earlier this month, the carmaker announced its goal to produce the first truly climate-neutral car that has a no carbon footprint when it leaves the factory by 2030, encompassing collaboration across the entire development process and value chain, from suppliers to retailers.

Although electric vehicles don't produce toxic emissions, Polestar will focus efforts on cutting emissions in the supply chain and production lines.

"It's a quite bold statement, but we had this strong focus and that was in a way shifting Polestar.

"By pushing ourselves to create a completely climate-neutral car, we are forced to reach beyond what is possible today. We will have to question everything, innovate and look to exponential technologies as we design toward zero," he said.

The pathway to a cleaner planet will pass through Polestar's design studios, research departments, factories, supply chains and boardrooms.

Polestar is calling on the automotive industry to become more transparent about its environmental effects. Product sustainability declarations will be published for all Polestar models, starting with a disclosure of the carbon footprint and traced materials from now, according to the carmaker.

Polestar is using certain sustainable materials in the Polestar 2 and its Precept model, according to Ingenlath.

A week before the Shanghai auto show, Polestar announced that it has raised $550 million in its first external funding from a group of long-term investors, who have confidence in Polestar's cars, brand, industrial capability, financial ambitions and high growth potential.

The funding will help accelerate product development and output as Polestar prepares to launch new cars in the coming years, the company said.

The electric vehicle maker was founded by Volvo Cars and Geely Holding in 2017. It has launched two models, which are the low-volume electric performance hybrid GT Polestar 1 and the pure electric performance fastback Polestar 2.

In the future, the Polestar 3 electric performance SUV will join the portfolio, as well as the Precept－a design study vehicle released in 2020 that is slated for future production. Precept showcases the brand's future vision in terms of sustainability, digital technology and design.

The carmaker has built a global sales and distribution network. It has opened 50 retail spaces in the past 12 months and will add another 50 by the end of this year, according to Polestar.

The carmaker has sold cars in Europe, North America and China. Polestar plans to expand its Asia Pacific network to South Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, and its European network to Austria, Denmark and Finland. By the end of this year, Polestar will be available in 18 markets worldwide.

The Polestar Production Center is located in Chengdu, Sichuan province. Designed with both sustainability and the brand ethos in mind, the center is a manufacturing plant and a physical manifestation of the Polestar brand.

Opened in 2019, the center is one of the most environmentally responsible in China and was built with the aim of achieving Gold status in the internationally recognized LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ratings.

With its strong connections with Geely and its production base in China, Polestar considers China as one of its most vital markets.

At the Shanghai auto show, the Polestar 2 model range has been expanded to three variants, making it accessible to a wider audience to further help accelerate the shift to more sustainable mobility.

"2021 is the year in which Polestar 2 will really gain momentum,"Ingenlath said. "Now, we expand the offering with additional versions－each maintaining its unique design, premium quality and fun driving experience."

The Polestar 2 was awarded a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating in March, because of innovative structural safety developments, its eight air bags and safety assistance features which include vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and road-edge detection support.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn