As society transitions towards carbon neutrality and more cars go electric, attention is shifting from tailpipe emissions to the embedded carbon emissions in the materials.
“The biggest challenge in making a climate-neutral car is to look at the total lifecycle. Not just focusing on tail pipe emissions during the use phase but also looking at the emissions from the materials used in producing the car and the assembly itself,” says Jonas Adolfsson, Business Development Manager Mobility at SSAB.
“SSAB Zero steel is a game changer.”
For carmakers aiming to reach net-zero targets, materials are the challenge, once tail pipe emissions have been eliminated. It’s no secret that steel is one of the biggest contributors to embedded emissions in vehicles, as it makes up more than half of the weight of an average car.
SSAB is tackling this challenge head-on with initiatives such as SSAB Zero™ steel, produced using recycled steel and fossil-free electricity.
“SSAB Zero steel is a game changer. Using recycled steel or our HYBRIT technology will save more than 70 percent of the emissions compared to traditional steelmaking.* And by using advanced ultra-high strength steel, you can use less steel without compromising the properties. And by that, you will reduce the emissions even more,” says Jonas Adolfsson. “So the remaining emissions coming from steel are Scope 3 upstream emissions, and that is the next step we need to focus on.”
To reduce — and eliminate — emissions from the supply chain, SSAB is working in close dialogue with its partners and suppliers. Achieving truly climate-neutral cars will require collaboration across industries, according to Jonas Adolfsson.
That’s why SSAB participates in Mission 0 House, a unique initiative in Gothenburg, Sweden, where scientists and engineers work side by side towards a shared goal: eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from the production of materials and products.
Hans Pehrson, Mission Director at Mission 0 House and Head of the Polestar 0 project, emphasizes the initiative’s collaborative spirit:
“It’s a place where chemists, metallurgists, material suppliers, and product developers all work together under one roof,” says Pehrson. “No one can do this alone. By combining expertise from industry and academia, we can make significant progress toward this target. I believe it’s difficult, but we can do it — together.”
By reducing emissions from steel production and working with both academia and partners across the value chain, SSAB is helping carmakers move closer to climate-neutral mobility.
“SSAB Zero steel isn’t just an idea — it’s a solution. The journey to climate-neutral cars is complex, but with pioneering solutions and collaborative innovations, we can make it a reality,” says Jonas Adolfsson.
*EPD 2025: Hot rolled SSAB Zero™ steel sheets and coils (EPD-IES-0018717) compared to blast furnace EPD 2025: Hot-rolled steel coils (EPD-IES-0023931)
The fossil carbon emissions in SSAB’s production of SSAB Zero™ are less than 0.05 kg CO2e/kg steel in Scope 1 and 2 of the GHG Protocol.
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