Media Release by AMGC
Swedish performance electric vehicle brand, Polestar and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC), is calling on Australian and global suppliers, researchers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to put forward the best cleantech ideas to assist with the development of a truly climate-neutral vehicle – a feat yet to be achieved by any automotive marque.
The vehicle, aimed to be launched in 2030 and code-named the Polestar 0 Project, will be developed with the single goal of eliminating emissions from the entire supply chain including all logistics and support functions rather than planting trees to offset CO2 emissions.
“At Polestar, we are not just about changing the cars we drive, we are about changing the way vehicles are made. Vehicles are not produced sustainably today but by addressing the challenge of climate change through the supply chain we can be part of the solution,” says managing director of Polestar Australia, Samantha Johnson.
“We know that Australia is home to some of the best innovative minds and businesses, manufacturing high-quality products that are competitive on the world stage. We are seeking their input into the global Polestar 0 Project as we accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility.”
The initiative will consider all manner of proposals from Australian entities whether currently available or in the early stages of development to secure a future CO2 -free solution. To assist with spreading the message, Polestar Australia will engage with AMGC, Australia’s pre-eminent industry body for local manufacturers.
Dr Jens Goennemann, AMGC’s Managing Director, commends Polestar’s ambitions and their outreach work in Australia saying, “Polestar’s call to industry to tackle emissions across the entire manufacturing value chain is to be commended.
“Australian manufacturers have a long history of developing, commercialising, and exporting high-quality and complex items. This initiative gives Australian manufacturers a unique opportunity to get in at the ground floor into a global market and to be part of a bold collaborative program.” Said Goennemann
To mark the launch of the global initiative, Polestar has signed Letters of Intent to collaborate with SSAB, Hydro, ZF, ZKW and Autoliv. It intends to work with these partners to significantly revise how cars are made, and what they are made of, to decarbonise manufacturing, and society more widely. The program will aim to eliminate all CO2 emissions from every material, function, and supply chain process.
“It was clear from the start that this is not a solo-mission and we are very excited to present such a strong line-up of interested partners, all leaders within their fields. We are leveraging innovation and collaboration to address the climate crisis,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.
Polestar decided to commit to this target for one simple reason: the transport sector is the fastest-growing greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting sector, expected to reach a share of more than 30 percent of total GHG emissions in the future.
Hans Pehrson, leader of the Polestar 0 Project and former Head of R&D at Polestar, says:
“We believe in the exponential development of climate solution technologies. For this project, we must tap into solutions that are still in the innovation stage. Even more exciting is that the solutions we develop will not only benefit the automotive industry overall but help decarbonise manufacturing and society more widely as well. Wherever we look in the world we see materials like steel, aluminium, electronics and rubber. Imagine when we can make these materials climate-neutral to produce. Together, we can make the seemingly impossible possible.”
Polestar already boasts a link to Australia in the form of automotive lighting manufacturer STEDI. Founded in Melbourne in 2013, STEDI manufacture high-quality LED driving lights, which featured prominently on the recent Polestar 2 ‘Arctic Circle’ special version.
“When we founded STEDI, LED lighting was in its infancy. While others were seeking ways to cut costs, we invested in our engineering, design, and manufacturing capabilities, and almost 10 years on we proudly list the likes of Polestar as clients,” said STEDI Founder, Eddie Yilmaz.
Interested parties are requested to contact Polestar by 23 March 2022. Full details of how to do so are to be found below.
