Polestar 5 Report Shows Materials Drive Most EV Emissions

Polestar’s latest lifecycle assessment of the Polestar 5 is reshaping how the auto industry views EV emissions. The report shows that the majority of a vehicle’s carbon footprint is not generated during assembly, but is embedded in the materials used to build it, highlighting a major shift in where automakers must focus their decarbonization efforts.

The findings reinforce that EV sustainability is increasingly tied to supply chains and material sourcing rather than factory efficiency alone.

Materials dominate emissions in Polestar 5 lifecycle analysis

Polestar reported a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of 23.8 tonnes of CO₂e for the Polestar 5, covering everything from raw material extraction to vehicle delivery.

The most significant takeaway is that materials account for about 60% of total emissions, excluding battery modules. By comparison, manufacturing and logistics combined contribute just 11%, while final assembly accounts for less than 1%, according to Automotive Manufacturing Solutions.

Among materials, aluminum stands out as the largest contributor, responsible for 52% of material-related emissions, or roughly 7.55 tonnes of CO₂e per vehicle. Steel and iron contribute about 2.39 tonnes, while polymers add 1.96 tonnes.

The battery accounts for about 29% of total emissions, or roughly 6.93 tonnes of CO₂e.

Polestar said it has reduced emissions by sourcing aluminum from renewable-powered smelters and increasing recycled content, avoiding more than 14 tonnes of CO₂ per vehicle compared with conventional sourcing.

Manufacturing emissions shrink as focus shifts upstream

The report highlights how little modern EV manufacturing contributes to overall emissions when powered by renewable energy.

Polestar’s production facility for the Polestar 5 operates on 100% renewable electricity, resulting in manufacturing emissions of just 0.08 tonnes of CO₂e per vehicle, effectively negligible in the overall footprint.

This shift suggests that further improvements in factory efficiency will deliver diminishing returns compared with upstream changes in materials and energy sourcing.

Battery production, while still a major contributor, is also showing improvement. The use of renewable electricity in cell and material production has reduced its overall impact, though Polestar noted that some of these gains rely on energy certificates rather than direct renewable supply.

The broader implication is that automakers must increasingly focus on material selection, supplier ecosystems, and energy sources at the point of extraction and refining.

Over a full lifecycle of 200,000 km, total emissions for the Polestar 5 range from 27.0 to 38.6 tonnes of CO₂e, depending on the electricity mix used during operation.

EV.com tracks the evolving EV collector space and performance electric vehicles hitting the market. Explore our listings to find the best EVs in your area available today.