Volvo Trucks has taken sustainability to the next level. The Swedish truck maker has announced that its heavy-duty electric vehicles will be made with fossil-free steel.
The transportation sector is the second-largest global contributor to dangerous CO2 emissions, which uses the most fossil fuels. And Volvo Trucks is committed to making that change. The Volvo FL Electric, the first electric commercial vehicle produced by the Swedish truck manufacturer, made its premiere in 2019 and has since carved out a unique path for sustainability.
The FL Electric was succeeded by the Volvo VNR Electric, which had a larger battery and increased range and will be available in North America in 2020. Volvo pushed things a step further in September, delivering three enormous 44-ton electric trucks. Volvo currently boasts the most extensive heavy-duty EV lineup, with six commercial electric cars.
The heavy-duty electric trucks are attracting top-tier partners wanting to meet their climate targets, such as Amazon, which bought 20 Volvo FH Electric vehicles with capacities ranging from 44 tons to 300 kilometers (186 miles).
“Our journey to net zero emissions includes both making our vehicles fossil free in operation and, over time, fully replacing the material in our trucks with fossil-free and recycled alternatives,” said Jessica Sandstrom, senior vice president of product management at Volvo Trucks.
Volvo claims to use fossil-free steel from Swedish steelmaker SSAB, which employs cutting-edge technology such as fossil-free power and hydrogen.
Amazon and DFDS will be the first to receive fossil-free steel EV vehicles. Amazon Europe’s VP of transportation services commented on the invention: “At Amazon, we are on our approach to making all of our operations net-zero carbon by 2040.” We need partners like Volvo to help us make this transition.
The carbon-free steel is made from hydrogen and is currently employed in the truck’s frame rails. Volvo states that as this type of steel becomes more widely available, it will be used in other car components.
Surprisingly, up to 90% of Volvo Trucks can be recycled, whereas 30% of materials in new trucks are made from recycled materials.