Öhlins® Racing aims to develop the world’s first zero-emission motorcycle suspension for ‘Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever’
World-leading suspension manufacturer works to drive innovation in the vehicle industry’s transition towards zero emissions
Upplands Väsby, Sweden – November 3, 2022
Öhlins® Racing, a world-leading manufacturer of racing suspension, is starting to take steps towards minimizing its carbon footprint. Today, the company announced it has officially started the process to learn more about decarbonizing its production chain, with the aim of producing the world’s first zero-emission motorcycle suspension.
Öhlins has taken on this endeavor as an official supply partner to the Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever project, an initiative started by the Swedish electric motorcycle manufacturer CAKE, together with European energy company Vattenfall. Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever aims to produce the cleanest motorcycle possible by 2025, while also shedding light on the hidden carbon costs of electric vehicle production.
As a major supplier to the global vehicle market and part of Tenneco Inc (NYSE: TEN) ("Tenneco") today’s announcement from Öhlins signifies the company’s commitment to driving innovation and being a leader in the broader transition towards decarbonization.
“Since Öhlins was founded, we’ve been passionate about developing and innovating the technologies used in our products. For us to build on this legacy and stay competitive in the future, we need to learn more about solutions and developments that will enable us to meet the climate challenges of today,” says Henrik Johansson, Managing Director of Öhlins Racing. “Being a part of Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever has inspired us to explore new, innovative ways of minimizing our carbon footprint. Although the road ahead holds its share of challenges, we’re focusing on areas where we can take strategic action and have the most impact now.”
One of the first steps Öhlins has taken to determine the full scale of its carbon emissions and bring them to a minimum in the future is a mapping of the product lifecycle. This will be done in collaboration with students at Stockholm’s Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), where a complete lifecycle assessment (LCA) and additional calculations will follow. By investing in decarbonization measures now, Öhlins is positioning itself to go beyond basic compliance with future emissions standards.
Robert Brinkmark, Director of Sales, Marketing & Product Management at Öhlins Racing, says: “In the future, our customers in the vehicle industry will inevitably demand products made with carbon-neutral materials, and we need to be able to deliver on their requirements. Putting in the work now means we’ll have a chance to get as close to zero emissions as possible in the future – without compromising on the quality, safety, and performance our customers have come to expect from our products.”
Öhlins is onboard as the official supplier of suspension products for CAKE and Vattenfall’s Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever. The bike itself will be a decarbonized version of the CAKE Kalk OR model, which is aimed to enter series production by 2025. While the bike emits no carbon dioxide while running, the manufacturing process generates a substantial carbon footprint. Through learning more about the company’s carbon footprint and exploring new solutions for decarbonization, Öhlins Racing is aiming to accelerate innovation within the industry and push carbon emissions to a minimum in their own production chain.
Learn more about the Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever project at www.cleanestdirtbikeever.com
