Volvo Trucks has set an industry milestone by becoming the first truck manufacturer to use fossil-free steel in its vehicle production.
In September this year, the Swedish company started series production of its heavy-duty electric trucks.
Some of the electric trucks will also be the first trucks in the world that are built with fossil-free steel.
“Our journey to net zero emissions includes both making our vehicles fossil free in operation and over time fully replacing the material in our trucks with fossil-free and recycled alternatives,” says Jessica Sandström, senior vice president of product management at Volvo Trucks.
The fossil-free steel is produced by the Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB and is made by using a completely new technology with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen.
Among the customers that will have fossil-free steel in some of their electric trucks are Amazon and DFDS and, through the transport company Simon Loos, Unilever.
Amazon transportation services Europe vice president Andreas Marschner says the technology giant is aiming to make all of its operations net-zero carbon by 2040.
“We need partners like Volvo to make this transition happen.”
The first steel produced with hydrogen is being used in the electric truck’s frame rails, the backbone of the truck upon which all other main components are mounted. As the availability of fossil-free steel increases, it will also be introduced in other parts of the truck, Volvo says.
90% of a Volvo truck can be recycled
Today, around 30% of the materials in a new Volvo truck come from recycled materials. Also, up to 90% of the truck can be recycled at the end of its life. Fossil-free steel will be an important complement to the traditional and recycled steel used in Volvo’s trucks, the company says.
Volvo Trucks is committed to the Paris agreement on climate change and to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the entire value-chain by 2040, at the latest, it adds.
