It’s a well-known fact that safety is a constant focus in the automotive industry. Concurrently, manufacturers are under global pressure to reduce their carbon footprint stemming from their own willingness, consumer demand, and standards and legislation. In the efforts to lower CO₂ emissions in manufacturing processes and improve vehicle safety, material choices make a significant difference.
Driving automotive responsibility with stainless steel with the world’s lowest carbon footprint
Read how stainless steel answers the call for more sustainable and responsible automotive manufacturing, enlightened by the Outokumpu’s experts Max Menzel, Head of Sustainability and Technical Customer Service, and Barbara Mundt, Product and Application Sustainability Manager, Advanced Materials.
Modern stainless steel promotes safety, hygiene and efficiency
As a raw material, stainless steel is inherently robust, long-lasting and 100% recyclable. Thanks to its high strength, thinner gauges can produce lighter car parts – saving valuable raw material and improving the energy efficiency of the vehicle. “In buses and trucks, this could increase the payload, as lighter vehicles can take on more cargo or passengers,” Mundt points out.
The durability of stainless steel also contributes to one of the most crucial responsibility aspects of vehicle manufacturing: safety. Thanks to its high heat resistance, stainless steel can withstand temperatures well over 1000 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes—enough time for emergency services to respond in case of a fire.
This contrasts sharply with aluminum, which melts at around 660 degrees Celsius, offering less thermal stability. "In the event of a fire, the superior heat resistance of stainless steel could be lifesaving," Mundt emphasizes.
With its hygienic properties, stainless steel is already a standard in interior surfaces in public transportation. This could be beneficial also in consumer vehicles, especially car-sharing services which represent a sustainable direction in their own right.
Additionally, stainless steel offers excellent corrosion resistance, meaning less maintenance and no need for separate coatings, which tend to release particles into the environment.
Cut value chain emissions and work towards a lower carbon footprint
Sustainably produced stainless steel has a much lower carbon footprint than many other materials due to its high recycled content and excellent durability. Low-carbon raw materials help scale down the final product’s carbon footprint, including value chain emissions—the most challenging emissions to reduce.
Smart material choices also make it easier for manufacturers to communicate their sustainability efforts to the end consumer. Outokumpu is the first stainless steel producer to provide a product-specific CO₂ footprint for all its stainless steel products in Europe.
“Full transparency on scope 1-3 emissions of the raw material in use is a massive advantage when calculating the total carbon footprint of a vehicle,” Mundt says.
European stainless steel is rooted in circular economy
“We are seeing a growing tendency among car manufacturers to focus on circular economy. For example, Volvo has announced a target of 35% recycled content in new car models by 2030,”
Menzel notes.
In Europe, the recycled content of stainless steel is at an estimated average of 85%, with Outokumpu stainless steel reaching up to 95%. “The European stainless steel business is built on circular economy. This offers significant untapped potential to the automotive industry,” he continues.
Stainless steel often needs to be processed differently for car parts than carbon steel or aluminum. “If industry leaders take a step forward and rethink vehicle design and manufacturing processes in a more comprehensive, lifecycle-centric direction, we can continuously improve the sustainability of new vehicles,” Menzel concludes.
A new benchmark in the circular approach, Outokumpu Circle Green® stainless steel boasts the lowest carbon footprint in the world.
Enabling the green transition in the automotive industry
One might think that the role of stainless steel in the automotive industry would diminish with the predicted end of the combustion engine in the following decades. “Actually, it’s quite the opposite,” Menzel reveals.
Stainless steel plays a big part in both key technologies set to replace the combustion engine: hydrogen-powered fuel cells and electricity-powered batteries. It is the material of choice in several stages of hydrogen production. Stainless steel can be utilized in fuel cells and battery packs for EVs.
“Our non-magnetic stainless steel grades can also be used in EV engine parts,” Mundt adds.