Polestar has announced that batteries in its Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 models now include at least 50% recycled cobalt. The company is also refurbishing high-voltage packs through Volvo Cars battery centers and establishing recycling partnerships across all markets. Relative CO2 emissions per vehicle have fallen 25% since 2020.
Swedish electric vehicle maker Polestar says batteries in its Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 models now contain at least 50% recycled cobalt, as the company expands its approach to battery circularity.
The Gothenburg-based company is also working with Volvo Cars battery centers to refurbish high-voltage battery packs. Under the arrangement, Polestar 2 and Polestar 3 vehicles requiring a battery replacement receive a refurbished unit with an equivalent state of health, creating what the company describes as a circular flow. Polestar says the program improves battery value retention while reducing environmental impact.
Beyond refurbishment, Polestar is establishing recycling partnerships across all its markets to meet producer responsibility requirements and maximize material recovery.
“To drive a Polestar is an intentional choice by customers who care about tomorrow,” says Fredrika Klarén, head of sustainability at Polestar. “Electrification, powered by renewable energy and enabled by circular battery materials, points to a new kind of system: one where resources stay in use and abundance replaces depletion.”
The company says it is also using recycled aluminum and steel, carpets based on ECONYL polyamide, and yarn made from PET waste across its model range.
Polestar has published life cycle assessments (LCAs) for every model since 2020 and says it has reduced relative CO2 emissions per vehicle by 25% over that period. The Polestar 2 was the first car to feature blockchain-traced cobalt in its battery supply chain.
