ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products

eUpdate client magazine| June 2026


2 / 6

Reinventing iconic models with XCarb®

Renault Group integrates ArcelorMittal’s low-carbon Usibor® 1500 in its new-generation BEVs

Scroll down to read the article

Renault Group and ArcelorMittal are taking a next step in their partnership in sustainable mobility. Serial deliveries of ArcelorMittal’s Usibor® 1500 XCarb® recycled and renewably produced steel (‘XCarb®’) started in September 2025 for five hot-stamped structural parts used in Renault’s iconic new 5 E-Tech electric, Alpine A290 and 4 E-Tech electric models.



XCarb® is produced via the electric arc furnace (EAF) route with 75% scrap content and 100% renewable electricity for the steel making. This results in almost 70% CO reduction compared with conventional blast furnace production routes, while maintaining the same outstanding performance – contributing significantly to the reduction of the carbon footprint of each vehicle.

For several years, Renault Group has been using Usibor® 1500 in structural parts of its body structures. Thanks to its outstanding mechanical properties, including 1500MPa ultimate tensile strength, it provides excellent protection for the passenger safety cell, combined with a lightweighting potential of -40% mass savings.

The innovation of this steel grade comes from the association of its specific chemistry and the hot-stamping process. The steel blanks are heated to 900°C and then stamped while remaining very formable at this high temperature. Cooling channels inside the stamping tool ensure a rapid quenching and hardening of the steel into a martensitic, high-strength form.

Now validated by Renault Group, the new XCarb® version of Usibor® 1500 maintains the same outstanding lightweighting and passenger protection properties, while offering a significantly reduced CO footprint.

The decision to use Usibor® 1500 XCarb® was first envisioned in the Renault Emblème concept car, unveiled in early 2025.

Arnaud Morizot, Material Engineering VP, Renault Group.

“With the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, Alpine A290 and Renault 4 E-Tech electric, Renault Group is reinventing iconic models for a new electric era. These vehicles already emit no CO in their use phase, and now with ArcelorMittal we are reducing the footprint of their production phase as well. Using Usibor® 1500 XCarb® steel shows how innovation and sustainability go hand-in-hand to create affordable, desirable, and more responsible mobility,” says Arnaud Morizot, Material Engineering VP, Renault Group.

Paul Brettnacher, CMO Automotive at ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products.

“This milestone is a concrete contribution to Renault’s decarbonisation roadmap and illustrates one of the strengths of the long-standing partnership between Renault Group and ArcelorMittal: turning innovation into industrial reality. Together, we combine safety, sustainability, and partnership to shape the future of mobility,” added Paul Brettnacher, CMO Automotive at ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products.

















Show me all articles