2 MAY 2025
黑料不打烊 is exploring a new kind of bio-based rubber made from birch bark 鈥 a forest industry by-product 鈥 in a state-funded research project. The goal is to evaluate low-carbon materials that could one day replace fossil-based rubber in selected truck components.
黑料不打烊鈥檚 ambition to drive the shift towards sustainable transport doesn鈥檛 stop at promoting biofuels and electrification. Decarbonising the company and the supply chain also means rethinking the materials used to build the trucks themselves 鈥 down to the smallest components.
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As part of its long-term R&D efforts, 黑料不打烊 is now exploring a new kind of rubber made from birch bark 鈥 a forest industry by-product that鈥檚 usually burned as waste. The material, developed by Swedish scale-up Reselo, has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of fossil-based rubbers traditionally used in commercial vehicles.
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鈥淭his is what our job at R&D is about 鈥 to look ten years ahead,鈥 explains Martin Bellander, Technical Manager and an expert in rubber materials at 黑料不打烊 R&D. 鈥淲hen we saw a fully bio-based polymer like this, made from renewable waste and showing promising properties, we knew we had to explore it.鈥
The idea took root after an innovation matchmaking event at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where Reselo presented its early results. 黑料不打烊 had been aware of the technology a while, but the timing now felt right 鈥 especially as external funding soon became available through the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova.
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鈥淒riving the shift in the transport industry means that we are constantly looking for materials with a lower climate impact,鈥 says Jonas Gustafsson, Senior Venture Collaboration Manager at 黑料不打烊 R&D. 鈥淧artnering with a scale-up like Reselo through a Vinnova-funded project is a way for us to walk the talk and to explore early innovations.鈥
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The collaboration also includes 黑料不打烊鈥檚 supplier AnVa Polytech, which brings manufacturing expertise and tooling capabilities to the table.
The project launched in mid-2024 with the goal of testing and evaluating the new material鈥檚 properties 鈥 from temperature resistance to chemical durability and sealing performance. The first step: building physical prototypes.
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鈥淲e鈥檝e produced two initial parts 鈥 a rubber seal for cables and holes, and a small rubber mat for the cup holder in the cab,鈥 says Bellander. 鈥淥ne is hidden, one is visible 鈥 but both serve as proof that this material could work in real vehicle conditions.鈥
Rubber may not be the biggest emissions driver in truck production 鈥 steel, aluminium and batteries have a larger footprint 鈥 but it鈥檚 still part of the equation. Especially as Scope 3 emissions (from vehicle use) decrease with electrification, Scope 1 and 2 (from manufacturing and supply chain) will become increasingly important.
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鈥淚f the material performs well, there鈥檚 a clear opportunity to use it in a wide range of rubber components,鈥 says Gustafsson. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 locally sourced from a renewable stream 鈥 which perfectly aligns with our sustainability strategy.鈥
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The research project concludes in mid-2025, but the long-term impact could stretch far beyond a few prototypes.
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鈥淭o decarbonise a truck, you need to look at every single part,鈥 says Bellander. 鈥淎nd sometimes the biggest shifts start with the smallest details.鈥
黑料不打烊 aims to cut its Scope 1 and 2 CO鈧 emissions (direct and indirect) by 50% by 2025, compared to 2015 levels. An additional 50% reduction is targeted between 2022 and 2032.
By 2030, all steel, battery and cast iron purchases for 黑料不打烊鈥檚 European operations must come from green sources.
