Volvo Is The First to Test Greener SSAB Steel for Their Cars
Jane Lu
· 3 min read
Although green vehicles don’t produce emissions on the road, manufacturing them does. In order to make sure that electric vehicles (EVs) are eco-friendly from start to finish, the steel industry needs to be greener as well.
Steel, glass, and aluminum are all materials that emit carbon when they are produced and put together to create an EV. Volvo is the first automaker to test fossil-free steel on its assembly lines, according to
Autoweek
. 
Volvo is testing fossil-free steel for car manufacturing
Volvo will work with Swedish steel maker SSAB to develop high-quality, fossil-free steel for Volvo car bodies. Volvo said they might test the steel in a concept car. SSAB hopes to scale production of fossil-free steel for the commercial market in 2026.
Volvo wants to be the first to use this steel in it’s vehicles. If the tests are successful, SSAB steel can become more widespread, and help auto manufacturers around the world reduce their emissions.
A huge amount of carbon is still emitted in the production of EVs. Making the switch to greener materials will help automakers make a bigger, positive impact on the environment.
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How will SSAB steel benefit the environment?
SSAB was one of the founders of HYBRIT. HYBRIT aims to replace coking coal, needed for iron ore-based steel, with electricity and hydrogen. Volvo will be testing SSAB steel made in HYBRIT’s pilot plant.
This steel will have no carbon footprint, and will help Volvo reduce their carbon emissions from their supply chain overall. SSAB CEO Martin Lindqvist said that the two companies "are building an entirely fossil-free value chain all the way to the end customer."
Volvo said that the global steel industry accounts for 7% of carbon emissions worldwide. Even for producing a fully electric car, steel and iron production make up 20% of the CO2 emissions. Implementing fossil-free steel and other steps that Volvo plans to take will reduce the carbon footprint of a car in its lifecycle by 40% between 2018 and 2025.
Volvo plans to be fully electric by 2030
MORE: Ford Landed a Key Partner in Its Quest for Greener Cars
This initiative and partnership with SSAB is part of Volvo’s climate action plan, as reported by Autoweek. Moving forward with this green steel will be a key driver for Volvo to become a fully electric car brand by 2030. Previously, Volvo said they want to be a carbon-neutral company by 2040. This partnership with SSAB will help them accomplish their goal.
The EV industry is still new and has room for improvement. Many states are putting laws in place to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles, so auto manufacturers will have to be ready for the shift to electric. Auto manufacturers have to find ways to reduce emissions from their production process without adding hefty costs to the finished product.
Affordable EVs and improved charging infrastructure is needed to convince consumers to switch to electric. If you own an EV and don’t want to overpay for car insurance,
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