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| Polestar builds a zero-emissions vehicle |
Swedish electric car manufacturer Polestar has announced that it will build the world's first zero-emissions vehicle not based on carbon offsets.
By separating it from Volvo and its parent company Geely, the company has reduced its carbon emissions by changing its manufacturing methods to produce the world's first climate-free car by 2030.
Carbon offsets have become a standard way for companies to offset carbon emissions through investments in renewable energies or environmental protection projects to improve the natural carbon storage capacity of a forest.
However, mounting evidence shows that compensation has not slowed global warming, it has given companies permission to continue pollution.
"We are forced to go beyond what is possible today. We must challenge everything, innovate and look for technologies that accelerate the development of zero-emission vehicles," Polestar CEO Thomas Enginlate said in a statement.
FedEx, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and JetBlue Airways have all announced that they will eliminate all emissions over the next few decades, while Uber and Lyft have committed to reducing carbon emissions within a similar timeframe.
Polestar produces two cars: the Polestar 1 hybrid sports car and the Polestar 2 curved roof sedan, priced at $ 155,000.
The Polestar 3 electric crossover is expected to hit the market in the second half of 2021. After the launch of the first car, the company announced that it would only produce electric cars.
The real challenge facing Polestar is to eliminate carbon emissions in the production and supply chain process.
Several major automakers have pledged to stop producing fuel-powered cars by a certain target date, including General Motors, Ford and Volvo.
However, automobile production, including the extraction of rare earth elements used in lithium-ion batteries, is a carbon-intensive process, and even reducing these emissions is an important task.
Compared to other large companies, Polestar may be more flexible in achieving its goals. The company announced a project called Polestar 0 in its first annual review and found that the sustainability statement would apply to all future Polestar models.
The Joint Declaration on Sustainability in Industries such as Food and Fashion is an inventory of all carbon emissions and waste associated with a product or process.
The company stated on its website that it takes into account the carbon footprint and traceable risks associated with making any Polestar 2 vehicle.