Rivian Teams Up With Polestar to Give Us All a Stark Warning

In the late ‘90s, Toyota showed that electrified vehicles can be useful, silent, and economical by mass-producing the Prius. In 2008, BYD sold the first modern plug-in hybrid (PHEV) that could have been charged externally. Two years later, General Motors showed its version of the PHEV – the Chevrolet Volt. Tesla took it a notch further and eliminated the internal combustion engine. But despite all this, we must point out that the all-electric automobile first appeared over a century ago in various iterations across several countries. So, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are, as you already know, far from being new to the automotive world.

And there's one thing we know for sure, even though we might not like it: global warming is a common threat that must be addressed because, if things get out of hand, many more around the world can end up experiencing dramatic changes in their ecosystem. Since internal combustion engine (ICE) cars are perceived as major sources of pollution because burning fuel releases greenhouse gases, governments around the world started announcing bans on the sale of new fossil fuel-powered vehicles with a couple of exceptions here and there.

For example, the UK announced 2030 as the date when new ICE cars can’t be found in dealerships, except for some types of plug-in hybrids. California decided on 2035, while the EU considers the same year but has not decided yet. At the same, various incentives have been in place worldwide for drivers to consider buying a zero-emission vehicle instead of a gas- or diesel-powered one.

Automakers understood that the industry and the world are changing. Most started investing in battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), while others shifted their focus to fuel-cell cars like the Toyota Mirai. Plus, Tesla’s unbelievable success showed that people are willing to change their lifestyles and learn more about a new type of propulsion.

So, it’s no surprise that the world’s most valuable auto company today is a BEV manufacturer. Similarly, since EVs are a lot simpler to build and do not require as many components as ICE cars, it makes sense that more companies appear in this space. That’s why Rivian, Canoo, NIO, Fisker, Lucid, XPeng, Aptera, or, Polestar exist and have a real shot at thriving.

However, only Rivian and Polestar decided to join forces for a new report in which they admit that moving onto a BEV-only strategy must be done in a truly sustainable manner. If the switch from ICEVs to all-electric vehicles is done with haste and by ignoring overall greenhouse gas emissions for the entire supply and demand chains, things could still spiral out of control.

Essentially, the automaker’s report says that the entire auto industry must work together and accelerate the sustainable transition to zero-tailpipe emission vehicles while also making sure everyone involved in production adheres to stricter pollution standards.

According to the document, changing all the cars in the world to battery-electric vehicles won’t help with stopping the global temperature from rising by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7F) by 2050. Neither powering all these zero-tailpipe emission cars with fossil-free energy. Not even changing how car companies tackle the production and the supply chain for more sustainable operations can help.

Rivian’s and Polestar’s report done in partnership with Kearney says the entire auto industry must work together on all the abovementioned aspects to accelerate the transition to battery-electric vehicles, fossil-free energy, and sustainable operations across the entire field of operation.

Finally, the report “calls for OEM leaders to jointly come to the table to discuss where opportunities might exist to collaborate on the greatest challenge humankind has faced—the pathway below 1.5 degrees.” Now, other auto companies are expected to join the roundtable to find solutions that can work for everyone. It'll be a tough challenge.