Exclusive Interview Hans Pehrson, Head of Polestar 0: A Project Like the Moon Landing

Hans Pehrson has been with Polestar for four years and was most recently Head of Research and Development. A fulfilling job, but Pehrson is still excited to now dedicate himself entirely to the topic of CO2 neutrality. In the interview, an intense enthusiasm resonates in every line, especially since he is aware of the magnitude of the project, which he likes to compare to the moon landing in 1969. We asked him about the project and the background.

Is the Polestar 0 Project really an entirely new vehicle, or is it a project that will be incorporated into upcoming Polestar models?

Hans Pehrson: It is an entirely new vehicle, the presentation of which is almost ten years ahead of us. That's a long time, but climate neutrality for us really starts in the mine where ores are extracted or the cotton field where materials for the interior are grown. All of this also needs to be transported before it becomes a car, with a life cycle of at least twenty years, and then it should be completely recycled. This is a whole new approach, which necessitates an entirely new car.

That sounds like high and idealistic goals?

Pehrson: Which we cannot achieve alone - not even with the partners we already have on board. We now have professionals for aluminum, steel, lighting, drive technology, but there are also so many other materials like cables, plastics, or tires - we have to look at all of that closely. That's why we've chosen the "Open Call" approach: anyone who has any ideas on how to avoid CO2 is warmly invited to contribute to the project!

Are there already concrete product plans or descriptions?

Pehrson: 2030 is still far away and it's not about just creating a concept car. I can't say anything about the type and quantities at this stage. The important thing is: it will be a vehicle that will be commercially mass-produced - that's important!

Do the development ideas also flow into current products?

Pehrson: They are continually being developed anyway and here too we are of course striving to further reduce the CO2 footprint. Currently, the Polestar 2 stands at around 25 tons per vehicle and I assume that by 2029 we will emit much less.

Where do you see the biggest levers and challenges in the project? In the energy-intensive raw materials, production, or transport?

Pehrson (smiles): The biggest challenge is clearly the overall package, to really rethink EVERYTHING and change where possible. The steel production process has basically been developed over 1000 years and aluminum production has been known for 200 years, glass melting from sand was invented in the Near East over 3000 years ago – all these processes have remained fundamentally the same. I believe if we develop new, sustainable methods here, we will take a big step forward. You just have to make sure to manage it well, because I don't want competition between inventors, process engineers, and developers – all sectors are needed to solve the problem comprehensively.

Material and production are one thing, the supply chain and transport are another – what solutions are you aiming for here?

Pehrson (smiles again): Supply chain over long distances was not so CO2-intensive during the sailship times. But the last commercial sailing ship sailed over 100 years ago… but we can't avoid transport, because materials and customers are never in the same place. But there is still a lot of potential to unlock here – among other things, sailing in shipping is being discussed again.

Wouldn't it also be an approach to make the cars simply more durable? You already mentioned a life cycle of twenty years, which many Volvo models have long achieved. So buy one Polestar and then continuously refurbish and update?

Pehrson: My colleague, Frederika Klarén, is Head of Sustainability and she and her team are intensively dealing with such topics. The proportion of recycled material is constantly increasing anyway, we don’t have to wait until 2030 for that. But for the Polestar 0 Project, this topic will come later. First, we need to eliminate the CO2 in the creation of all processes.

What does the concrete timetable look like?

Pehrson: Let's count back: We have to be finished by 2030, which means the final package must be ready by 2027 at the latest, the basic architecture must be in place beforehand, which brings us to 2025. That means we need to have solved all the issues we discussed earlier by 2025. It will be exciting, but there's no way around CO2 neutrality, there is consensus on that – that's why many companies, cities, or regions have announced that they want to be CO2-neutral by a certain time. But currently, I see many announcements and few concrete actions. Hence our specific time horizon: in 2030 we will have the first truly CO2-neutral car, by 2040 our company will be CO2-neutral.

Will the Polestar 0 Project then be the blueprint for all future Polestar models?

Pehrson: The time horizon is still far away, but the project is also correspondingly large. Currently, I can't tell you what the Polestar portfolio will look like between 2030 and 2040, but in 2030 we will have the CO2-neutral car ready. And if we can do it, others can too. There’s so much potential in it! Let's let our imagination be the only limit for new ideas! Because from our planet's perspective, it is so desperately needed!

Would additional projects like the Polestar cargo bike also fit into this? Are you thinking about extending this further?

Pehrson (laughs): We always think prospectively in relatively long timeframes. I often compare the issue of CO2 neutrality with the moon landing in 1969. It was a big goal set years in advance, and even in 1962, the necessary technology wasn't yet available. During that development, there were numerous spin-off effects. Translated to Polestar, this means that we also have some spin-off effects and some new developments or products might come before 2030.

A very good comparison...

Pehrson: ...which I want to extend further regarding our efforts. The second-best solution wouldn't suffice here. That would be like setting off for the moon, but unfortunately, the lander crashed on the surface. To truly become CO2 neutral, we need the best ideas and solutions! This is why we are calling on everyone to participate – whether you are an inventor, start-up, professor, or anyone with a good idea – get in touch!

Vita:

Hans Pehrson is the project leader of the Polestar 0 Project. With more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, Hans was the Technical Director of the Volvo C30 Electric, the first electric car of the Volvo Car Group, and served as the manager of Volvo Cars Electric Propulsion System Engineering. He also supported the London EV Company with their All New TX - The Electric Taxi. He started at Polestar in 2018 as Head of Research and Development before taking on the role of Polestar 0 Project leader in 2021. Hans is passionate about driving the industry toward electrification and finding ways to completely eliminate cars with fossil fuels. The Polestar 0 Project, which aims to eliminate the entire CO2 footprint currently generated in the production of a complex product like a car, is also a passion of his. He lives in Gothenburg and works at the Polestar headquarters.

The interview was conducted by Gregor Soller.