Photo: Daimler
Mercedes-Benz plans to introduce green steel into its cars as soon as possible, so it partnered with Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB to produce the CO2-free alloy.
With the new collaboration, the German manufacturer plans to continue its goal of reducing emissions and also go electric, hopefully by the end of this decade. Mercedes envisions a car fleet that is CO2 neutral by 2039, the latest, and a green steel supply chain is the right step in that direction.
In order to produce the green steel, the manufacturer relies on hydrogen made of water and fossil-free energy. Iron oxide is reduced to crude iron using hydrogen, eliminating the need for coking coal in a process with virtually no CO2 emissions.
So far, SSAB only has a pilot plant operating but aims to produce fossil-free steel at an industrial scale starting with 2026.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should see the first prototype parts for body shells sometime next year, according to Mercedes-Benz.
SSAB is not the only steel supplier of Mercedes-Benz, as Daimler also announced a collaboration with American manufacturer Big River Steel (BRS) back in July. As claimed by the supplier, BRS uses a sustainable method that cuts down CO2 emissions for the Mercedes-Benz products by over 70 percent, compared to the traditional blast furnace route.
Emission-free mobility is a common goal in today’s automotive industry, and Daimler is not the only carmaker trying to reduce its carbon footprint. Volvo also aims to use fossil-free steel in its cars, and it also announced a partnership with SSAB in June.
The plan of the Swedish automaker is to reduce the life cycle carbon footprint per vehicle by 40 percent, with the deadline being 2025. In the long run, Volvo wants to become an all-electric car brand as well, sometime by the end of this decade. In the first phase, the green steel will be utilized for testing purposes and maybe a Volvo concept car.
In order to produce the green steel, the manufacturer relies on hydrogen made of water and fossil-free energy. Iron oxide is reduced to crude iron using hydrogen, eliminating the need for coking coal in a process with virtually no CO2 emissions.
So far, SSAB only has a pilot plant operating but aims to produce fossil-free steel at an industrial scale starting with 2026.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should see the first prototype parts for body shells sometime next year, according to Mercedes-Benz.
SSAB is not the only steel supplier of Mercedes-Benz, as Daimler also announced a collaboration with American manufacturer Big River Steel (BRS) back in July. As claimed by the supplier, BRS uses a sustainable method that cuts down CO2 emissions for the Mercedes-Benz products by over 70 percent, compared to the traditional blast furnace route.
Emission-free mobility is a common goal in today’s automotive industry, and Daimler is not the only carmaker trying to reduce its carbon footprint. Volvo also aims to use fossil-free steel in its cars, and it also announced a partnership with SSAB in June.
The plan of the Swedish automaker is to reduce the life cycle carbon footprint per vehicle by 40 percent, with the deadline being 2025. In the long run, Volvo wants to become an all-electric car brand as well, sometime by the end of this decade. In the first phase, the green steel will be utilized for testing purposes and maybe a Volvo concept car.
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