Volvo Trucks is world's first to use fossil-free steel in its trucks

Volvo Trucks becomes the first auto manufacturer in the world to use fossil-free steel in its trucks. The Swedish truck manufacturer has said that the steel has been produced by SSAB and it has been used in heavy-duty all-electric Volvo trucks. The truck manufacturer also claims that this fossil-free steel has been produced using completely new technology, using hydrogen.

The automaker claims that the fossil-free steel produced with hydrogen will be used in the frame rails, upon which all the main components are mounted. It also said that as the availability of fossil-free steel increases, it will be introduced in other parts of the trucks.

Volvo Trucks claims that with this strategy 90 per cent of the vehicles can be recycled. It claims that currently, around 30 per cent of the materials of the new trucks come from recycled materials. Speaking about this strategy, Jessica Sandstrom said that the auto company is striving to further minimize its climate footprint

Volvo group has been emphasising using fossil-free steel in its vehicles for quite some time. The step comes as part of that strategy. As part of its greater target of achieving carbon neutrality across the supply chain and manufacturing process, Volvo has been emphasising using green hydrogen for steel production for its vehicles. Speaking about using the fossil-free steel in the Volvo electric trucks, the automaker claims that it comes with a much lower climate impact compared to conventionally produced steel. It also said that the small scale introduction of the fossil-free steel in the automaker's electric trucks will commence in the third quarter of 2022.

Jessica Sandström, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Volvo Trucks, said that the company aims to increase the use of fossil-free materials in all its trucks to make them net-zero not only in operation but also in terms of raw materials used for making the vehicles.