Volvo Group says it has become the world’s first truck manufacturer to introduce fossil-free steel into the manufacturing of its trucks.
The announcement this week follows a deal with Nordic steel giant SSAB back in early 2021 to research and develop fossil fuel-free steel, which has resulted in steel produced on new technology based around green hydrogen, and results in a much lower climate impact than conventionally produced steel.
Small-scale introduction of the steel in Volvo’s heavy electric trucks is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2022, starting with usage in the truck’s frame rails, the backbone upon which all the truck’s other main components are mounted.
Volvo has committed to using even more fossil-free steel as it becomes more readily available.
“We will increase the use of fossil-free materials in all our trucks to make them net-zero not only in operation – but also when it comes to the materials they are built of,” said Jessica Sandström, senior vice president for product management at Volvo Trucks.
“We are continuously striving to further minimize our climate footprint. We are also moving towards greater circularity in both our operations and our trucks.”
Volvo is not the only company tackling its fossil fuel-heavy supply chain. In May 2021, German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz announced that it had taken an equity stake in Swedish start-up H2 Green Steel and promised to begin using green steel in the construction of its “various vehicle models as early as 2025.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.