Polestar announced it’s reached a significant milestone in battery sustainability, with the Polestar 2 fastback and Polestar 3 SUV now using batteries made with at least 50% recycled cobalt.
The Swedish EV maker is pushing what it calls “battery circularity” – ensuring battery materials get reused, repurposed, or recycled instead of thrown away. This cuts down on mining new materials like cobalt and reduces a car’s lifetime emissions.
Refurbished Battery Program
Beyond the recycled cobalt achievement, the performance EV brand has teamed up with Volvo Cars battery centers to refurbish existing high-voltage batteries.
At these facilities, Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 owners needing battery replacements get refurbished units. The replacement batteries match the State-of-Health of the original battery.
This approach supports Polestar’s goal to be as environmentally friendly and transparent as possible.
Sustainability Track Record
For over five years, Polestar has published Life Cycle Assessments for each model. The company openly reports its carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
The Polestar 2 marked a sustainability breakthrough – it was the first car to feature blockchain-traced cobalt in its battery. Cobalt is crucial for EV batteries because it provides high energy density, thermal stability, and longevity.
Polestar also uses recycled aluminum and steel in selected models. Interior materials include nylon-derived carpets and yarns made from repurposed plastic bottle waste.
Following the battery circularity milestone, Polestar’s sustainability head Frederika Klarén said: “To drive a Polestar is an intentional choice by customers who care about tomorrow.”
“Electrification, powered by renewable energy and enabled by circular battery materials, points to a new kind of system: one where resources stay in use and abundance replaces depletion.”
The Polestar 2 launched in 2020 as the Gothenburg-based company’s first vehicle as a standalone brand after splitting from Volvo. CEO Michael Lohscheller promised the next-generation model will remain a fastback rather than becoming an SUV as once rumored.
The new Polestar 2 is scheduled to arrive by the end of the decade.
