WDK underscores vital role of rubber components in mobility and transport

The German Rubber Industry Association (WDK) has emphasized the indispensable role of rubber products in enabling road transport, highlighting components like fuel hoses and charging cables as critical for transferring energy to vehicles regardless of propulsion technology. Speaking as part of the association’s “Rubber – We Save the World” campaign, WDK chief chemist Volker Krings noted that rubber products are essential across all major energy sources used in transport, including gasoline, diesel, electricity, e-fuels, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and hydrogen. “Liquid or gaseous fuels are transferred into vehicle tanks through fuel hoses. Electric vehicles are supplied with electricity via charging cables,” Krings explained on 4 June. “In both cases, rubber components ensure that energy can be transferred safely, reliably, and conveniently.” The WDK stressed that fuel hoses must offer long-term resistance to fuels, hydrogen, and other media, while charging cables need to remain flexible, withstand mechanical stress, and meet strict safety standards. Both product types must deliver abrasion resistance, pressure resistance, weather resistance, and reliable performance across a wide temperature range. While engines, batteries, and fuels often dominate discussions about mobility, Krings pointed out that “without rubber products, neither refuelling nor charging would be possible.” He added that rubber components make “an indispensable contribution behind the scenes to ensuring that mobility functions at all.” The WDK also noted that rubber products extend far beyond mobility, playing a widespread role in everyday life and industry, with vehicle charging and refuelling serving as just one example of their modern applications.