Polestar criticizes ‘lax car brands’

Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath responds to the ‘Glasgow Declaration on Zero Emission Cars and Vans’ signed today at the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, a statement in which more than 100 companies, governments and city councils are committed to phasing out fossil fuels between 2035 and 2040. Ingenlath sprays fierce criticism on car brands that feel less compelled to ban the combustion engine at a rapid pace.

“Car brands are still talking about selling cars with petrol and diesel engines until 2040. Given the average lifespan of a car, these cars will still be driving around and polluting until the second half of the century. They represent a delay for one of the most powerful climate protection solutions available,” said the CEO. Polestar has indicated that it will build a truly ‘climate neutral’ car by 2030, without being dependent on CO2 compensation.

In a covering letter, Polestar states that it is making this statement “because it appears that a large part of the car industry is switching to electric cars as slowly as possible. Car brands continue to invest in the development of cars with new petrol and diesel engines, which, without more ambitious phase-out plans, will still be on the road in 2050 and beyond.” According to Polestar, the money invested in the development of new petrol and diesel engines could be better spent to stimulate ‘climate neutral mobility’. Ingenlath says it will disapprove of carmakers’ decisions to develop new petrol and diesel engines. To support his point of view, the Polestar CEO chooses loaded words. “Can you imagine telling a child today that cars will still be producing toxic gases 30 years from now, making the air harder to breathe?”

lax?

Polestar says it is ‘not perfect itself’ but is working on getting better. Polestar is certainly not the only manufacturer in this, although the Swedes pretend that it would be. For example, Jaguar will no longer sell a single new car with an internal combustion engine by 2025 and Ford will kiss the cars with petrol and diesel engines goodbye in 2030. From that year on, Mini also only sells fully electric cars and even aristocratic relative Rolls-Royce only sells EVs from 2030. Furthermore, Alfa Romeo will only have EVs in the range from 2027 and DS and Lancia will only introduce models with an electric powertrain from 2024 and 2026 respectively. Brands such as Kia, Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen have not set a concrete deadline for the combustion engine, but they do have strong ambitions in the EV area. For example, Kia will have seven EVs in its range in 2027, Hyundai says it will already have twelve in 2025. Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis will only sell electric cars from 2025.