Better Health for All

Polestar's core business of manufacturing and selling electric vehicles (EVs) has a significant positive health impact, as 100% of its product portfolio consists of EVs. The adoption of EVs is linked to reduced air pollution, leading to fewer asthma-related emergency room visits, which constitutes a revolutionary health benefit.

Consequently, the company generates no revenue from products with negative health outcomes. However, Polestar has a poor safety record, with 9 recalls issued between July 2022 and July 2025, addressing potential safety hazards such as rearview camera functionality, electrical systems, airbags, and brake pedal detachment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also issued a recall for 3,664 Polestar vehicles due to software defects in rearview cameras. Furthermore, the adoption of electric vehicles is slower in low-resource zip codes, indicating that vulnerable populations have limited access to these health-benefiting products. The reduction in air pollution from EV adoption represents a positive health externality and a preventative health measure.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Polestar is an electric vehicle manufacturer, and its core business does not involve offering lending, deposit, or insurance services to consumers.

Therefore, all KPIs related to financial products, such as underserved client share, pricing fairness (APRs/fees), exploitative fee exposure, inclusion initiatives (loan/insurance book), fair lending compliance, wealth building outcomes, profit reinvestment in community finance, financial literacy initiatives, debt burden ratio, geographic inclusion (financial access points), and product simplicity (financial products), are not applicable. The company does not generate or manage customer finance data in the context of open banking APIs.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

In 2024, 51% of employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements.

The employee engagement score was 7.5 (out of 10) in 2024, a decrease from 7.9 in 2023. Voluntary employee turnover increased to 24% in 2024, up from 19% in 2023 and 13% in 2022. The company reported zero substantiated labor-law or human-rights violations in 2024, following one incident in 2023. All employees and non-employees are covered by social protection against loss of income due to major life events, either through public programs or company benefits.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Human rights audits for suppliers typically occur every 2-3 years.

In the last three years, one supplier had a priority finding related to forced and compulsory labor, specifically concerning recruitment and hiring fees reimbursed within 150 days instead of the legally required 90 days. This issue was rectified in a corrective action plan. For direct material suppliers to Polestar’s car programs, 99.9% in high-risk regions with third-party onsite human rights audits had no priority findings related to forced and compulsory labor. Traceability for risk materials like Cobalt, Mica, Lithium, and Nickel is conducted for Polestar 2, 3, and 4, with efforts to transition Polestar 4 to a fully traced supply chain. However, 78% of direct material suppliers are assessed to be in high-risk regions, and only 34% of these suppliers have a valid third-party onsite human rights audit. The median days to close corrective action plans after violations are not specified. 99% of direct material suppliers to Polestar’s car programs have signed agreements on core principles of human rights and the Code of Conduct, including requirements for no child labor and no forced labor.

Honest & Fair Business

Polestar announced a restatement on January 16, 2025, covering its 2022 and 2023 financial statements and multiple interim reports from September 2022 to June 2024, due to misreported liabilities and assets.

The company has a 'SpeakUp' reporting channel for internal and external individuals to report concerns, including those related to bribery or corruption, and states that retaliation is not tolerated. However, there is no evidence of independent investigation processes for these reports. Polestar states it supports free and fair competition and does not allow corruption or bribery, and has a Code of Conduct and Business Partner Code of Conduct, but the policy's scope regarding international and high-risk markets is not detailed. The company mentions a due diligence process for conflict minerals to identify smelters validated to confirm with the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP), but the extent of independent verification of overall ethical claims is not specified beyond this single area.

Kind to Animals

Polestar, as an electric vehicle manufacturer, does not engage in animal agriculture, animal testing, or sourcing of eggs, meat, or dairy, making several KPIs not applicable. For its vehicle interiors, the company offers vegan upholstery (MicroTech) as an option.

It also sources Nappa leather that is welfare-traced and from suppliers adhering to the Five Freedoms, and wool upholstery that is animal-welfare certified or from farms with progressive animal welfare approaches. However, the provided articles do not contain quantitative data on the percentage of animal-derived materials replaced with ethical alternatives, the percentage of animal-related suppliers audited for welfare compliance, or any investment in animal-free R&D.

No War, No Weapons

Polestar Automotive Holding UK Limited's core business is the design, development, manufacture, and sale of electric vehicles.

The provided articles contain no evidence of the company engaging in any arms manufacturing, military contracts, conflict facilitation, or related activities. Therefore, all applicable KPIs are scored as N/A, indicating no involvement in defense or arms-related business.

Planet-Friendly Business

Polestar has a climate goal set for 2040.

The company incorporates 10% recycled materials into the Polestar 4 model.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Based on the provided evidence, there is insufficient information to accurately assess Polestar's performance regarding Respect for Cultures & Communities. While the documents mention general commitments to human rights and ethical sourcing, they lack specific details on community engagement, cultural preservation initiatives, or metrics related to indigenous partnerships and local community investment.

, , , , , , The company has a SpeakUp whistleblowing channel available to all stakeholders. The Lead the Charge article focuses on Volvo, not Polestar. Without concrete data on the defined KPIs, a neutral score is most appropriate. More information is needed to determine Polestar's alignment with this value.

Safe & Smart Tech

In 2024, Polestar experienced 14 substantiated breaches of customer data privacy, with one incident reported to a regulatory body.

The company's Privacy Notice, published March 13, 2024, indicates that personal data collected via its SpeakUp channel is deleted or anonymized within two years, voice messages within 14 days plus a 90-day backup, and technical data within 90 days. Polestar aims to comply with GDPR, US SEC, US Nasdaq, and the EU Whistleblowing Directive, and is adapting its data compliance program to global legislative developments. Users are stated to have GDPR rights, including access, rectification, restriction, portability, and deletion. The company uses encryption (TLS) for data transfer outside the EU/EEA. Polestar provides employees with cybersecurity awareness training at onboarding and annually, with interim reminders and alerts, and conducts regular phishing tests. Annual penetration testing of the network is conducted with third-party consultants, and critical vendors undergo annual security posture reviews with third-party assistance. The company's cybersecurity processes and systems are reviewed and assessed by third parties.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

The Polestar 2 is 85% recyclable.

The company integrates circular design principles into its EV design, aiming for full circularity by focusing on material reduction, repairability, remanufacturing, repurposing, recycling, and longevity. The Polestar 4 contains 10% recycled material.