Volvo Trucks delivers world’s first electric trucks made of fossil-free steel

Volvo Trucks is the world’s first truck manufacturer to start using fossil-free steel. It has delivered the first such vehicles to its customers Amazon and Unilever, and transport companies DFDS and Simon Loos.

Fossil-free steel is a product of Swedish manufacturer SSAB, which employed a new technology by using fossil-free electricity and hydrogen, Volvo Trucks said.

In August of last year, SSAB announced that it has produced the first fossil-free steel in the world, for Volvo Group.

Now Volvo Trucks said that its new vehicles would have a significantly lower climate impact, calling it an important step towards a net-zero emissions value chain. Among the customers that will have fossil-free steel in some of their electric trucks are Amazon and DFDS and, through the transport company Simon Loos, Unilever, Volvo said.

The first steel produced with hydrogen is being used in the electric truck’s frame rails, the backbone of the truck

The company is the first in the world that launched serial production of heavy-duty electric 44-tonne trucks.

The first steel produced with hydrogen is being used in the electric truck’s frame rails, the backbone of the truck upon which all other main components are mounted. As the availability of fossil-free steel increases, it will also be introduced in other parts of the truck, the company said, adding that around 30% of the materials in a new Volvo truck come from recycled materials while up to 90% of the truck can be recycled.

Volvo Trucks’ goal is to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the entire value chain by 2040.

Up to 90% of a new Volvo trucks can be recycled

Jessica Sandström, Senior Vice President of Product Management at Volvo Trucks, said the company’s journey to net zero emissions includes both making its vehicles fossil free in operation and, over time, fully replacing the material in its trucks with fossil-free and recycled alternatives.

“At Amazon, we are on the way to make all of our operations net-zero carbon by 2040. We need partners like Volvo to make this transition happen,” Vice President for Transportation Services in Europe Andreas Marschner said.

According to Niklas Andersson, EVP of DFDS Logistics Division, the company is committed to its green transition and to delivering greener transport and logistics solutions.