Sustainable Materials for Automotive Running Boards

While often seen as a secondary component, side steps in vehicles improve vehicle accessibility, enhance functionality, and contribute to a unified exterior design.
Running boards improve access, safety, and comfort, especially for high-clearance vehicles like SUVs and trucks, as well as reduce seat wear by easing entry and exit in a vehicle. 
When designed with sustainable thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), running boards provide durability, grip, and weather resistance while boosting performance with an eco-friendly edge.

KRAIBURG TPE, a global manufacturer of thermoplastic elastomers, provides compounds for various industries, including automotive, with a focus on smart and sustainable mobility. Its THERMOLAST® R RC/UV/AP series delivers high-performance, recycled-content TPE solutions designed for exterior automotive components like running boards. 
These compounds offer excellent weather resistance, UV stability, and impact strength, making them ideal for enduring harsh outdoor conditions while maintaining long-term durability and surface quality.

THERMOLAST® R RC/UV/AP series with a power advantage
KRAIBURG TPE's RC/UV/AP Series combines weather resistance, strong UV stability, and long-term durability to withstand the environmental stress and mechanical wear typical of exterior automotive components such as running boards. 

The compounds offer excellent adhesion to polypropylene (PP), low density for weight reduction, and temperature stability up to 90°C. 
These features, along with proven performance in the two-year Florida weathering test with a GS rating of ≥ 4, make the series highly resilient under harsh outdoor conditions. 
With a hardness range of 50 to 90 Shore A, it also covers various design needs, from flexible to more rigid structures.

Consistent performance with recycled content
In line with the automotive industry’s move towards sustainability, KRAIBURG TPE’s THERMOLAST® R RC/UV/AP series contains 15–40% recycled content and meets specific recycling standards, helping to reduce the environmental impact of automotive parts production.
Available in black color, the series offers versatility and visual consistency, ensuring that car running boards maintain a sleek, modern appearance while meeting design requirements.

The series is also suitable for a wide range of exterior automotive parts, including cowl gaskets, underbody components, and window encapsulations.

Sustainability-focused solution
At KRAIBURG TPE, sustainability is at the heart of our innovation. Our portfolio features bio-based TPEs and compounds with post-consumer (PCR) and post-industrial (PIR) recycled content. Selected TPEs carry GRS and ISCC PLUS certifications. We also provide Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data on request to support sustainability decisions. 
We have proudly earned the EcoVadis Gold Medal in 2025 and are committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), aligning our goals with global climate action. 

From reducing emissions to increasing circularity, our sustainable TPEs deliver dependable performance and are available worldwide to help meet your applications while advancing your sustainability goals.

Get in touch today to explore how KRAIBURG TPE is able to support you on your sustainability journey.

Disclaimer: The applications mentioned are illustrative of material capabilities only. Final product suitability and regulatory compliance must be assessed and validated by the customer.