ZF partners with Polestar to produce carbon-neutral cars

German auto parts producer ZF has joined hands with electric carmaker Polestar to develop fully climate neutral vehicles by 2030.

The main goal of the initiative, called Polestar 0, is to avoid emissions throughout the entire vehicle life cycle — not to compensate for them by planting trees or buying emission credits.

ZF said development of a production-ready, completely climate neutral passenger car by 2030 will begin following a preliminary development phase of just under three years.

Polestar, an electric carmaker founded by Volvo and Geely, is focusing on fundamental cooperation across industries to address the net zero emissions challenge.

It is currently forming a collaboration between automotive industry suppliers, research institutions, start-ups, investors, governmental and non-governmental organizations.

ZF is one of the first and largest technology groups in the automotive industry to decide to participate.

"The Polestar 0 Project is a fantastic moonshot initiative. ZF supports it with enthusiasm because it perfectly complements our own holistic climate protection program," said Stephan von Schuckmann, a ZF board member responsible for the Electrified Powertrain Technology division.

"ZF's program includes all dimensions, from procuring materials to manufacturing to the complete life cycle of all our products. By 2040 ZF will become truly climate neutral," he said.

ZF said it will initially focus on developing, sourcing, and producing electric drivetrains that aspire to meet maximal sustainability targets.

It will later offer its systems expertise in the industry, covering not only drivetrain technology but also chassis technology, as well as active and passive safety technology.

"Our joint research task will investigate the complete electric drive to find out which type has the potential to achieve net zero manufacturing," said Thomas Ingenlath, CEO Polestar.

"Our aligned strive to fossil-free solutions will enable us to explore other areas and components as we progress with the net-zero build of the car," he said.