Sustainability first: Polestar 5 GT carbon footprint report published
Polestar has revealed that the cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of its four-door Polestar 5 GT is almost as low as that of its smaller 4 and 2 models.
New figures released by the brand show that its flagship grand tourer has a total pre-sale footprint of 23.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), less than the Polestar 3 and within two tonnes of the smaller Polestar 2 and 4 models.
Carbon dioxide equivalent is a standard unit for measuring greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of the gas source. tCO2e enables car manufacturers (and other businesses) to understand their environmental and climate impact, and the climate impact of future models.
Sustainability is a Polestar cornerstone. Since 2020, the Swedish performance brand has published full Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for all of its vehicles, covering the car’s emissions from raw material extraction through to production and final delivery to the buyer.
One key way the brand has cut the emissions impact of its new model is through “cleaner” aluminium in the car’s construction.
Aluminium is a carbon-intensive input in car manufacturing so to reduce its impact, 13% of the aluminium used in the Polestar 5’s construction is recycled metal, while 83% comes from renewable energy-powered smelters. This save 14 tC02e comapred with cars built using conventional aluminium sourcing.
The Polestar 5’s battery cell models and other key battery materials are also built at renewable-powered plants, while several materials used in the brand’s debut Grand Tourer help reduce its overall carbon footprint.
Natural fibre composites developed with Bcomp use flax-based ampliTex. This bio-based carbon fibre alternative uses 50% less fossil-based material, and can be up to 40% lighter than conventional plastic composites.
Recycled materials are also used throughout the Polestar 5’s cabin, including Econyl carpets made from discarded fishing nets and recycled PET textiles. The frunk’s insulation is also finished with a recycled PET surface layer to enable easier recycling at the end of the car’s life.
After publishing the 5’s carbon footprint report, Fredrika Klarén, the Polestar sustainability lead, commented: “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.
“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 was unveiled last year and immediately turned heads with its handsome design and up to 871bhp. With UK order books now open, the entry-level Dual motor Launch Edition is priced from £89,500, while the flagship Performance Launch Edition starts at £104,900. Deliveries for both models are expected in Summer 2026.
