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Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) recently announced that August this year was the hottest month in recorded history. Climate scientists warn that without reducing carbon emissions, extreme weather events will intensify. At the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, world leaders agreed to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Korea also submitted its ‘2050 Long-term Low Carbon Development Strategy’ to the UN, committing to achieving carbon neutrality. Amidst this climate crisis, the mobility industry is driving innovation to meet carbon neutrality goals. Let’s explore their decarbonization strategies and innovations in sustainable materials.
The Mobility Industry Amidst the Climate Crisis
Sustainable mobility encompasses electric vehicles (EVs), e-scooters, and other alternatives that use electric or hydrogen energy instead of fossil fuels. The mobility industry is shifting from petroleum-based transportation to environmentally friendly alternatives, leading changes in future markets. Automobiles, in particular, have been identified as major contributors to the climate crisis due to significant greenhouse gas emissions during production and usage. Now, after over 130 years of dominance, the era of internal combustion engine vehicles is coming to an end, and the automotive industry is undergoing a major transformation for the environment.
Under the goal of carbon neutrality, the automotive industry is accelerating the development of sustainable vehicles, with an increasing number of cases incorporating reusable or renewable materials. Korea is also working to reduce air pollution by deploying more than 20,000 hydrogen buses by 2030, which will help address the issue of internal combustion buses emitting over 30 times more greenhouse gases and 43 times more fine dust annually compared to passenger cars.
Changes in the Automotive Industry for the Environment
▲ The automotive industry is pursuing various strategies to achieve carbon neutrality.
The automotive industry is pursuing various strategies to achieve carbon neutrality. BMW has set a goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by over 200 million tons by 2030 and plans to significantly increase the recycling rates of aluminum and steel to cut CO₂ emissions during production. They are also taking the lead in using sustainable materials, such as natural fiber mats for door trim panels, natural rubber tires, and repurposed nylon from discarded materials for in-car floor mats and upper covers.
Japanese automakers are also expanding their use of recycled plastics. Honda has announced plans to establish a recycled plastic supply chain by 2040, while Toyota is incorporating its collected PET bottles into vehicle seats and aiming to have recycled materials make up over 30% of total vehicle weight by 2030.
Renault Group launched the ‘Refactory’, a circular economy plant, in 2021, which maximizes resource utilization by recycling components and materials from scrapped vehicles and repurposing end-of-life EV batteries. These efforts accelerate the transition to carbon-neutral mobility. In this way, automotive industries around the world are striving to realize future mobility with environmental considerations by expanding the use of recycled materials and improving production processes.
Recycled PET Tirecord 'iON' Achieves Commercialization, the First in Korea
The domestic automotive industry is actively promoting the development of materials using recycled raw materials. HS Hyosung Advanced Materials, which holds the world's No. 1 market share in PET tirecords, continues to innovate to meet the needs of the automotive industry.
▲ iON : EV-dedicated tires featuring recycled PET fiber tirecords
HS Hyosung Advanced Materials collaborated with SK Chemicals and Hankook Tire & Technology to achieve the first domestic commercialization of the EV-dedicated tire ‘iON,’ which features circular recycled PET fiber tirecords. SK Chemicals supplied the circular recycled PET, ‘SKYPET’, and HS Hyosung Advanced Materials developed high-strength recycled PET yarn tirecords as the raw material, successfully producing the tire with a focus on reducing greenhouse gases and enabling sustainable product manufacturing.
Tirecords are fiber reinforcements that maintain a tire's shape and withstand the loads and impacts encountered during driving, playing a key role in enhancing tire durability and driving performance. In particular, electric vehicles require lightweight yet high-strength tirecord materials to endure the weight of batteries, which exceed 400 kg. With the growing global demand for sustainable products, HS Hyosung Advanced Materials will leverage its technological expertise to collaborate with domestic and international clients, driving the sustainable product market forward.
Relentless HS Hyosung Advanced Materials’ Commitment to Sustainable Technology
Since developing Korea’s first Nylon tirecord in 1968 and introducing PET tirecords in 1978, HS Hyosung Advanced Materials has maintained its position as the global No.1 leader in tirecord market share. In addition to PET tirecords, the company produces and supplies key tire reinforcements, including Nylon tirecords, Steel Cords, and Bead Wires.
To meet the rising demand for sustainable mobility, HS Hyosung Advanced Materials is strengthening its research and development of tire reinforcements. The company is implementing solutions to save energy and reduce environmental pollution, such as developing recycled steel cords and bead wires made using electric technology, as well as Bio-based PET and Bio-based Nylon tirecords derived from plant-based raw materials.
In particular, HS Hyosung Advanced Materials is focusing on developing recycled PET tirecords using discarded PET bottles. Recycled PET is manufactured through two primary methods: Mechanical Recycling and Chemical Recycling. Mechanical Recycled PET involves washing, crushing, and reprocessing PET bottles, whereas Chemical Recycled PET involves depolymerizing PET bottles under high temperature and pressure to return them to their raw material state before reprocessing. HS Hyosung Advanced Materials utilizes both recycling processes to research and develop high-strength recycled PET tire cords, striving to maintain the same quality as existing products while reducing their environmental impact.
Additionally, the company offers solutions that enhance tire performance while minimizing environmental impact. For next-generation mobility, such as electric vehicles, HS Hyosung Advanced Materials has developed high-strength PET tirecords and Aramid-based tirecords, which are five times stronger than steel. These advancements contribute to tire weight reduction and improved durability, significantly enhancing fuel efficiency and overall performance.
▲ Recycled PET and Recycled NYLON
HS Hyosung Advanced Materials is also focusing on developing and producing recycled yarns that can replace existing products. Recycled PET yarn, made from discarded PET bottles, is supplied for automotive seat belts and airbags, while Recycled Nylon, made from discarded fishing nets and waste nylon, is used for automotive carpets. The development of these materials, utilizing discarded resources, plays a significant role in driving sustainable innovation within the automotive parts market.
The mobility industry is rapidly evolving with the expansion of electric and hydrogen vehicles. To minimize environmental impact, automakers are actively adopting recycled materials and eco-friendly technologies. Amid this trend, HS Hyosung Advanced Materials is leading industrial innovation by developing sustainable materials such as Recycled PET and Bio-based nylon. Moving forward, HS Hyosung Advanced Materials will continue to take the lead in achieving carbon neutrality and sustainable mobility through its outstanding technology.