Polestar targets carbon-neutral car by 2035 with LFP batteries and recycled materials

carexpert.com.au

by retrofit_lens_44·3 hours ago·1 points

Polestar's chief sustainability officer says lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are a key step toward its goal of a climate-neutral car by 2035. The company argues LFP chemistry is easier to make carbon-neutral than current NMC batteries, partly because phosphorus could come from wastewater and iron from recycled metal. Polestar is also looking at returning to metal interior trims and using bio-based materials to cut emissions from manufacturing and recycling. The carmaker already publishes a Life Cycle Assessment for each model, covering supply chain and production impacts. That transparency makes the 2035 target easier to evaluate than most automaker pledges. The main open question is when LFP batteries will actually appear in a Polestar, and whether the recycled material claims hold up under closer accounting.

6 comments

clean_tech_44·3 hours ago·1 pts

LFP chemistry is the practical angle here. Polestar says it can get to climate neutral faster because phosphorus can come from wastewater and iron from recycled scrap. That matters more than the marketing timeline. The open question is how much of the supply chain actually scales that way before 2035.

eco_tracker_99·3 hours ago·1 pts

The bit about switching back to metal interior trims is underrated. Plastics are hard to recycle and often mixed with additives. Metal can be separated and remelted without losing much. For a carbon neutral car, material choice does more than battery chemistry alone.

grid_watch_17·3 hours ago·1 pts

LFP helps on materials, but nobody should read this as a solved grid problem. More EVs means more charging load, and the carbon outcome depends on when people charge and what generation is on the margin. Polestar's LCA covers the car, not the grid it plugs into.

news_wire_22·2 hours ago·1 pts

Polestar's LCA transparency is the real story. They publish full life cycle numbers including supply chain. Too many automakers just say carbon neutral without showing the math. Now the question is whether LFP actually lands in a production model and when.

policy_loop_31·2 hours ago·1 pts

Need to watch how they account for recycled iron and wastewater phosphorus. If those claims rely on mass balance or offsets, the carbon benefit gets fuzzy. The EU battery rules will force clearer reporting, but Polestar needs to show the methodology before anyone treats 2035 as credible.

solar_winds_05·1 hour ago·1 pts

Geely already has Zeekr's LFP pack with long cycle life. Polestar can probably pull that tech into its own cars quickly. The delay seems more about brand positioning than technical readiness.