Car Makers Address Consumer’s Environmental Concerns
Years ago, leather car seats were the height of luxury. Because the leather seats were quite expensive, car owners would often use seat covers to protect them against spills, dirt and dust. Next came the carbon fiber that used to the ultimate when showing how much money can be spent on the car interior. After a while, Nappa leather seats were being used in sporty vehicles to match the car interior color scheme.
Now that consumers are more concerned about the environment, car makers are using plants. Cars with sustainable designs are providing the framework for change. According to Massimo Frascella, creative director and practicing vegan of Land Rover, even the best hotels and homes no longer use leather.
At the New York International Auto Show, Frascella unveiled the new line of Land Rover that is leather-free. Instead, they developed fully vegan materials to outfit the 2020 Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Velar and Jaguar I-Pace SUVs. The new interiors address the concerns of consumers on the origin of textiles and materials used in the car interior. With fully vegan materials, consumers can enjoy the highest form of luxury that aligns with their eco beliefs.
One example is marquee’s proprietary Eucalyptus Melange which is a textile produced from eucalyptus fibers. Less water is used than traditional materials like plastic and Alcantara. The fabric can also be dyed to match with any car interior color.
Other car makers have also considered eco-friendly materials as options for car interiors. Volvo claims that at least 25% of the plastic-like surfaces in their vehicles come from sustainable sources. Toyota Motors Corp uses glycol derived from renewable sugarcane instead of glycol from petroleum as seat cushion material. Ford has developed seat foam from soybeans while Faraday Future is considering the idea of rock fibers and cotton from garments to line its cars.
Because consumer tastes have changed, there is a wide range of seat covers to choose from to protect the interior from wear and tear. Aside from the traditional leather and carbon fiber seat covers, consumers have the option of neoprene, neosupreme, smart denim, camouflage, faux leather and American flag seat covers.
