Polestar 2: an update that reduces its carbon footprint

Until today, when an automaker updated a model, it usually received aesthetic, mechanical and technological revisions. What if a manufacturer could also reduce a model’s carbon footprint over time? This is precisely what Polestar has done with the most recent improvements to the Polestar 2 electric.

The Polestar 2 didn’t really need an update. At least not if we are to believe the improvements the automaker made to the lineup last fall, including a reduction in the entry price, the introduction of the single-engine version and some improvements in the cabin. .

Reduce where it counts

This second update aims rather to improve the vehicle’s energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint. According to Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar 2’s materials and assembly processes have all been reviewed to be as polluting as possible. He says it’s a new way to improve a vehicle throughout its life cycle.

To achieve a sedan that pollutes less, Polestar has made changes in key places. We start with a battery holder made of an aluminum sourced from producers who only use processes based on renewable energy. This battery holder alone would reduce the carbon footprint of each Polestar 2 by 750 kilos (1,653 pounds) in CO2e (CO2 equivalent).

Polestar takes a similar approach to rims. In addition to displaying an all-new design, these aluminum rims also come from cleaner processes, removing another 600 kilos (1,322 pounds) of CO2e.

Finally, the manufacturer has teamed up with the firm Circulor, which specializes in the traceability of industrial supply chains. Using blockchain technology, Polestar is able to monitor every step of its supply chain to ensure it is as green as possible, right through to the finished product.

In total, Polestar hopes that, by the end of the year, all of these improvements combined will reduce the total carbon footprint of a Polestar 2 by 1,350 kilos (2,976 pounds) in CO2e.

More classic improvements

In addition to these improvements in energy efficiency, the Polestar 2 receives some more classic revisions. There are the new redesigned 19-inch and 20-inch wheels, but also two new body colors, like space black and jupiter, a kind of champagne color with flakes of red.

The interior also receives some new features, such as a gray upholstery for the Nappa leather seats and a new pattern called Light Ash for the fabric seats. Polestar takes the opportunity to add a sun visor under the panoramic roof, then incorporates a new cabin filter equipped with a sensor allowing the driver to monitor the quality of the ambient air from his phone.

Finally, a new heat pump is activated in a wider temperature range, between -7 and 25 degrees Celsius. Polestar claims it would improve the vehicle’s range, but has not yet released any figures to that effect.

OneCarSpot’s review

The fact that Polestar cares so much about the ecological footprint of its vehicles shows us the seriousness of the manufacturer to market vehicles that are truly friendly to the environment. Polestar’s approach is indeed very avant-garde because, sooner or later, all car manufacturers will have to be aware of the ecological impact of their vehicles as well as their manufacture.

Other manufacturers, such as BMW and Audi, have also begun a process of increased monitoring of their supply chains with the aim of constantly improving them to reduce their carbon footprint.

However, Polestar’s update, which emphasizes a reduction in total vehicle CO2e, is a first. Going forward, the updates will be much more than a new grille and a new multimedia system!