Mercedes-Benz to use fossil fuel-free steel for its future cars

German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has announced on Wednesday that it has joined hands with Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB. The luxury car brand aims to use fossil-fuel-free steel for producing its vehicles in the coming days.

This partnership comes as part of Mercedes-Benz's plan to become a sustainable and carbon-neutral luxury car brand keeping pace with a large section of the global automobile industry.

Under this partnership, Mercedes-Benz will use the fossil-fuel-free steel supplied by SSAB to produce vehicle prototypes and body shells. The implementation of fossil-fuel-free steel will commence next year.

SSAB on the other hand is planning to supply the market with fossil-free steel at a commercial scale in 2026. The company claims that it will use the HYBRIT system to replace coking coal, which is traditionally needed for iron ore-based steel manufacturing. It will use electricity and hydrogen instead of coking coal.

Mercedes-Benz aims to become completely carbon dioxide neutral across its various operations over the next two decades. The luxury car marquee expects that by 2039, its new passenger vehicle fleet will become carbon dioxide-neutral along the entire value chain.

Interestingly, Mercedes-Benz is not the first car major that is attempting to make cars with fossil-fuel-free steel. Previously in June this year, Swedish luxury car giant Volvo Cars too joined hands with SSAB. The two companies aim to explore the development of fossil-fuel-free steel for use in the automotive industry.

With two large auto manufacturing companies aiming for such sustainable green manufacturing solutions, other car manufacturers around the world are also expected to take similar steps in near future.