Volvo did not hesitate to want greener cars among its electric car plans and efforts to ditch leather, but he’s now extending that eco-conscious mindset to the very bodies of those vehicles. As TechCrunch reports, Volvo is partnership with Swedish steel producer SSAB to develop fossil-free steel for cars. The automaker is studying how SSAB’s hydrogen-based steelmaking process could be used to reduce a car’s carbon footprint and strengthen the case for electrified vehicles.
SSAB hopes to mass-produce its fossil-free steel by 2026. Volvo ultimately wants to use the steel in production cars and would therefore be linked to SSAB’s progress. You might see results sooner, as Volvo envisions a concept car built around the new material.
It is not certain that the new steel will increase the price of cars.
This could be a milestone for Volvo and the industry as a whole. While Volvo’s pure electric cars generate a lower percentage of CO2 from steel and iron production than combustion engine models, at 20 percent versus 35 percent, that’s still a significant amount. Fossil-free steel could give Volvo an edge as it competes for environmentally conscious buyers and could spur rivals to take similar action.
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