Polestar announced that its upcoming four-door Polestar 5 GT produces almost the same carbon footprint during manufacturing as the company’s smaller models.
The Swedish brand released figures showing the flagship grand tourer generates 23.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) before reaching customers. That’s less than the Polestar 3 SUV and within two tonnes of the compact Polestar 2 and 4 models.
Carbon dioxide equivalent measures all greenhouse gas emissions using a single standard unit – regardless of the gas type.
This measurement helps EV manufacturers track their environmental impact and plan future models’ climate effects.
Cleaner Materials Drive Lower Emissions
Sustainability remains central to Polestar’s approach. The brand has published complete Life Cycle Assessments for every vehicle since 2020, tracking emissions from raw material extraction through production and delivery.
The company reduced the Polestar 5’s environmental impact primarily through cleaner aluminum sourcing.
Since aluminum production generates significant carbon emissions, Polestar used 13% recycled metal in the car’s construction. Another 83% comes from renewable energy-powered smelters.
This approach saves 14 tCO2e compared to conventional aluminum sourcing methods.
The battery cells and other key components are manufactured at renewable-powered facilities. Several innovative materials in the grand tourer further reduce its carbon footprint.
Bio-Based Materials Replace Traditional Components
Natural fiber composites developed with Bcomp feature flax-based ampliTex technology. This bio-based alternative to carbon fiber uses 50% less fossil-based material and weighs up to 40% less than conventional plastic composites.
Recycled materials appear throughout the cabin.
Econyl carpets use discarded fishing nets while recycled PET creates interior textiles. The front trunk’s insulation includes a recycled PET surface layer – making it easier to recycle when the car reaches end-of-life.
“You cannot reduce what you don’t measure. Making a car’s carbon footprint visible helps focus the industry on where emissions occur, particularly in materials and manufacturing,”
said Fredrika Klarén, Polestar’s sustainability lead.
“That transparency is essential if we want to scale the low-carbon materials, renewable energy and circular solutions needed to reduce the climate impact of cars.”
The Polestar 5 debuted last year with striking design and up to 871bhp output. UK order books opened recently with the entry-level Dual motor Launch Edition priced from £89,500.
The flagship Performance Launch Edition starts at £104,900.
Deliveries for both variants begin in Summer 2026.
