Auto Industry Decreases Carbon Footprint

The automotive industry is turning to newly developed light, high-strength steel to decrease a vehicle's carbon footprint. According to the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), automakers are turning to advanced high-strength steels that require less energy and emissions to produce than other automotive structural materials.

The new steel makes lighter parts, which reduces vehicle weight and increases fuel economy. And the material is fully recyclable. "The use of advanced high-strength steel reduces a vehicle's structural weight by as much as 25 percent and can cut total lifecycle CO2 emissions by up to 15 percent more than any other automotive material," says Lawrence Kavanagh, president of SMDI. "And because it's fully recyclable, steel used in today's cars can help automakers reduce the carbon footprint in tomorrow's vehicles as well."