Tag: Ecology

This Odd Looking Volvo Is The World’s First Vehicle Made Of Fossil-Free Steel

The Volvo Group unveiled a load carrier designed for use in mining in quarrying that it claims is the first vehicle ever made of steel made using no fossil fuel.

The unveiling follows the automaker’s announcement in June that it would partner with SSAB to source steel made without the use of fossil fuels. The steel is made using hydrogen instead of the carbon-intensive coking coal that is traditionally used in steel production.

Per SSAB, the steel industry accounts for about 7 percent of global direct carbon emissions. That, in turn, accounts for about 35 percent of the CO2 emitted in the manufacturing of Volvo’s internal combustion vehicles or 20 percent for EVs.

Read More: Volvo To Use Steel Made With Hydrogen And Electricity Saving Tons Of Fossil Fuel

“Having the world´s first actual vehicle made using SSAB´s fossil-free steel is a true milestone,” said Martin Lindqvist, President and CEO of SSAB. “Our collaboration with Volvo Group shows that green transition is possible and brings results.”

This is just the first in a series of concept vehicles as Volvo plans to debut more in 2022. The steel will play an important part in reducing Volvo’s carbon emissions, something it has committed to doing, saying that it will be climate neutral by 2040.

“Volvo Group is committed to pioneering partnerships such as this with SSAB to develop attractive, safe, and efficient new vehicles and machines that pave the way for a more sustainable transport and infrastructure system adopted for the future,” said Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO Volvo Group.

Unfortunately, Volvo won’t be able to make production vehicles with the steel for a few years as SSAB anticipates that it will only be ready to produce steel at a commercial scale in 2026. When that happens, it will be joined by Mercedes, which has also signed a deal with SSAB for its steel. The German automaker plans to produce the first prototype body parts using the steel next year.

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Skoda Could Use Biological Raw Materials In Its Vehicles’ Interiors

In researching ways to make its vehicles more sustainable, Skoda has come up with a pair of new interior materials it says could help shorten supply chains and take advantage of byproducts from other industries.

Skoda has already filed a patent application for the first, a material made from the pulp of sugar beets. The company says it uses a special process to dye the pulp, which can then be used to create design accents for the interior.

Better still, the beets come from Dobrovice, near Skoda’s Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic, headquarters. That means that on top of utilizing a byproduct that might otherwise be discarded, simply getting it to the factory emits less CO2.

Read Also: VW Stops Producing Its Most Popular Product: Currywurst Sausages

The second product is still in the investigation stage but it utilizes miscanthus, a type of reed grass. The grass grows quickly, sequestering CO2 along the way. Again, Skoda is taking advantage of a byproduct, as the grass is often used as a biofuel and residue can be processed into trim pieces.

To demonstrate the quality of the materials, Skoda has created an Octavia whose floor and right-side doors are missing to make its interior more visible. With trim pieces in the dashboard made of beets, and door cards and A-pillars trimmed with the reeds, the demonstrator shows how the automaker could make attractive interiors that are more sustainable.

Along with the new materials, the car also uses trim pieces made of 100 percent new wool that is certified by The Woolmark Company and fabrics made of recycled PET bottles. All of which is being done in an effort to allow Skoda to unshackle itself from the use of plastic and leather.

“We aim to play a pioneering role in the area of sustainability,” said Johannes Neft, Skoda’s head of technical development. “We are taking a holistic approach to this issue, and we are addressing much more than just the CO2 emissions of our vehicle fleet; we are also focusing on researching and using ecologically sourced materials and investigating, for example, how materials such as coconut fibers or rice husks can be used in the future.”