Polestar eyes LFP batteries as one of three paths to a climate-neutral car by 2035

LFP chemistry flagged as a route to a climate-neutral car

Lithium iron phosphate batteries are one of the next steps Polestar is taking towards its 'moonshot goal' of 'a truly climate-neutral car', according to the brand's chief sustainability officer Fredrika Klarén. Speaking with CarExpert at the launch of the new Polestar 4 SUV, Klarén said LFP is one of three main measures to fast-track the company's progress towards that goal. ¹

'As you know, we have NMC [nickel manganese cobalt] chemistry in our cars still, but we are also exploring going forward to create a climate-neutral car, what kind of battery chemistry is the best one for that car?' Klarén told CarExpert. 'We see that LFP will be much easier to create with a climate-neutral way, and we can get there quicker because, for example, phosphor you can extract from wastewater instead of mining it from Morocco as it is today, and iron you can get from recycled metal.' ¹

Klarén would not confirm when an LFP battery might be deployed in a Polestar. Polestar and stablemate Volvo have been slower to move to LFP than the broader Geely portfolio, with CarExpert noting the chemistry is regarded for its reduced reliance on rare earths and greater longevity with regular fast-charging. Geely stablemate Zeekr already offers its in-house 'Golden Brick' LFP battery in China and other markets, which CarExpert reports has a claimed lifespan of 1 million kilometres and 3500 charging cycles. ¹

Metal trims and bio-based materials complete the three paths

Alongside LFP batteries, Klarén told CarExpert that a second measure is a return to real metal interior trims. 'We need to get back to using metals more in the cars. We need to do a U-turn,' she said, explaining that metals are easier to achieve climate neutrality on than plastics because they can be recycled over and over again without degrading, and carry fewer chemical issues than plastics. ¹

The third measure is bio-based materials, in interiors and other components throughout the car. Klarén told CarExpert the aim is materials solely based on bio-based sources rather than mixed with fossil fuel sources as they tend to be today, and added that such materials could even capture carbon emissions rather than only presenting the problem of climate neutrality. ¹

A 31 per cent cut in emissions per car sold

The LFP strategy sits within a broader decarbonisation record. According to Polestar's 2025 Sustainability Report, published on 28 April 2026, the company cut its greenhouse gas emissions per sold car by 31 per cent between 2020 and 2025, from 45.9 to 31.7 tCO2e, while annual retail sales grew beyond 60,000 cars and the brand expanded to 28 markets. Polestar notes 2025 alone saw per-car emissions fall a further 7 per cent while sales grew by 34 per cent. ²³

The reduction has been driven by increased renewable energy use in battery production and manufacturing, wider use of low-carbon materials, and growing volumes of the Polestar 4, which Polestar describes as its lowest carbon footprint car to date. Cleaner European electricity grids have also lowered use-phase emissions; Europe accounts for more than 75 per cent of Polestar's sales. ²⁵⁶

Specific material measures include 83 per cent of the aluminium used in the Polestar 5 in 2025 coming from smelters powered by renewable electricity, with 13 per cent recycled aluminium, and batteries in the Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 containing at least 50 per cent recycled cobalt, according to Polestar. ³⁸

Polestar 0 target moves to 2035

The Polestar 0 project, which aims to build a net-zero car without offsets, has been revised from its original 2030 timeline to 2035. Polestar said the revision reflects the scale and complexity of the challenge, and the company continues to stay below its own emissions reduction curve towards a broader goal of climate neutrality across its value chain by 2040. ²⁵⁶

Research under the project is centred at the Mission 0 House in Gothenburg, formally established in 2025 with close to SEK 100 million in funding over five years. The consortium includes five Swedish higher education institutions and six companies, among them SSAB on steel and TMG Automotive on textiles. Active work spans a large-scale pilot for ultra-low-emission steel, new battery material research, bio-based textile alternatives and technologies converting CO2 into usable materials. ²⁵⁶

Transparency as a brand strategy

Polestar publishes a Life Cycle Assessment with each vehicle, calculating the full climate impact across its lifespan, and commits to responsible sourcing using blockchain technology and supplier audits, as reported by CarExpert. The brand has also printed the tonnes of CO2e saved in manufacture on its car bodywork as part of its design language; Autotrader UK notes the current Polestar 2 is three tonnes of CO2e per car lighter than its predecessor, a 12 per cent reduction in its carbon footprint. ¹⁷

'We're kind of cultish around sustainability', Klarén told Autotrader UK, adding that Polestar has 'locked ourselves into a green technology, investment-wise'. She described transparency as 'a way of building consumer loyalty. It's a filter'. ⁷

Context for the goal

The sustainability push comes amid commercial growth alongside continued financial pressure. Polestar reported unaudited revenue of USD 2,171 million for the first nine months of 2025, up 48.8 per cent year on year, with retail sales of an estimated 44,482 cars, up 36.5 per cent. The results also included a net loss of USD 1,558 million, largely driven by a USD 739 million non-cash impairment on the Polestar 3, according to the company's investor release. ⁴

Polestar's current line-up comprises the Polestar 2, 3, 4 and 5, with the Polestar 7 compact SUV planned for 2028, with production intended in Europe, and the Polestar 6 roadster also planned, according to the company. CarExpert notes the second-generation Polestar 2 is due in 2027, while the Polestar 7 is expected to serve as the brand's new entry point when it arrives in 2028. Headquartered in Gothenburg, Polestar remains majority owned by China's Geely Holding Group. ²⁴¹