Vattenfall and CAKE reveal hidden CO2 sources when producing an electric motorcycle by demonstrating carbon footprint with a cube

Stefan Ytterborn: “The term fossil-free vehicles is greenwashing until the entire production part has been decarbonized, regardless of the fuel they are running on”

Vattenfall, a leading European energy company, and LEVA-EU member CAKE, the Swedish maker of premium lightweight, electric motorcycles, today announced an innovative initiative for visualizing carbon emissions from production. Within the joint project “Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever”, CAKE and Vattenfall are revealing the climate impact of producing one CAKE Kalk OR electric offroader by placing it in a cube, 8.6 meters tall, that represents the volume of carbon emissions created in the production of the bike – 637 cubic meters, equal to 1,186 kg CO2e.

“The popular term fossil-free vehicles is greenwashing until the entire production has been decarbonized, regardless of the fuel they are running on. In fact, most companies do not know the carbon footprint of their own products. To understand and tackle our own impact, we have measured the emissions from our entire production chain for one CAKE Kalk OR, and started to decarbonize every step to a minimum by 2025. By doing so, our second most important contribution to the planet is to inspire other manufacturers to step up and do the same,” says Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of CAKE.

Annika Ramsköld, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Vattenfall commented:

“Vattenfall works to achieve fossil-free living within one generation and is dedicated to finding partnerships that inspire and break barriers. This is one such project, where our main contribution is the broad knowledge in fossil free solutions and electrification of industries we have acquired over decades from our own as well as other industries.”

Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever – revealing climate impact

Within the project Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever, Vattenfall and CAKE have been collaborating since 2021 with the aim to produce the first ever truly fossil-free vehicle – the CAKE Kalk OR electric offroader. The first step in the decarbonization process was taking the bike apart and measuring the impact, from a climate perspective, of every individual part. The two companies worked together to quantify the carbon emissions from step one of the manufacturing process for each component as well as final assembly – from raw material to finished product.

The life cycle assessment (LCA) concluded that producing one CAKE Kalk OR currently results in emissions of 1,186 kg CO2e, equal to a volume of 637 cubic meters. Every successful step taken results in shrinking the volume. The route to fossil-free production will involve both CAKE and its existing suppliers, as well as a number of innovative producers of alternative components and materials that offer opportunities for emissions to be further reduced.

An integral part of the Cleanest Dirt Bike Ever collaboration between Vattenfall and CAKE will be the cube, a three-dimensional visualization of the carbon footprint from production. The visualization itself is an innovative approach to building a broad understanding of an urgent global issue that is often talked about, but difficult to comprehend. The objective of the cube is to raise awareness among consumers, inspire the manufacturing industry in general, and position Vattenfall and CAKE as leaders in the transition to fossil-free production.

The many misperceptions of fossil-free

Anything that is produced results in a certain carbon footprint. Consumers can make a large difference by consuming less and more consciously if they are given the opportunity to understand what fossil-free means. For instance, research has shown that 83 percent of all EV owners believe that they are already doing enough for the climate. The reality is that an electric car results in carbon emissions of 35 tonnes when produced, a figure that manufacturers are rarely able to provide.

Carbon emissions from producing different products (weight and volume):

– A pair of jeans: 33 kg CO2e, 18 m3

– Beef, 1 kg: 60 kg CO2e / 32 m3

– Using up a full tank (60 liters) of gasoline in a car:

– Petrol: 182 kg CO2e / 97 m3

– Diesel: 206 kg CO2e / 110 m3

– CAKE Kalk OR electric motorcycle: 1,186 kg CO2e / 637 m3

– A 46 inch LED television: 1,334 kg CO2e / 713 m3

– A mid-size electric car: 25-35 tonnes CO2e / 13,359-18,703 m3