As auto manufacturers look to become more sustainable and reduce the amount of emissions linked to their products, the vehicles they produce are beginning to look less and less like the car we grew up getting around in.

Electric and hybrid vehicle concepts now dominate the landscape, as manufacturers look to build the next big ‘Tesla killer’, while advanced driver-assistance systems have made driving a much easier, safer activity for many road users. Vehicles that do run on petrol and diesel have become much more efficient and drivers can now enjoy a far more comfortable ride thanks to the improvements made to vehicles interiors and dashboards.

One less noticeable change that has occurred as a result of automotive companies becoming more sustainable is the change of material used for the vehicle’s interior.

For decades, luxury car companies have attempted to differentiate themselves from the competition by using luxurious leather materials for car seats and the dashboard. This was a point of difference from the fake leather, vinyl, nylon and polyester materials often used.

However, as the world becomes more environmentally conscious car materials are following suit.

New vegan leather and polyester materials are becoming popular with manufacturers looking to offer a more sustainable option for consumers while still providing that prestigious, clean look.

Using recycled materials like plastics, bottle lids, wood and synthetic textiles, luxury car companies including Tesla, Mercedes, Land Rover and Jaguar have all made the switch to recycled materials for a majority of their vehicles.

Renault are the latest brand to make the switch, with the all-new Zoe electric vehicle to be built with 100 percent recycled materials. Textile scrap from the automotive industry will be used as the material for the cabin space, while seatbelt off-cuts and recycled plastics will also be incorporated into the material.

The trend has been noticed by research agency, GlobalData, who says that the push to incorporate recycled materials is the result of a larger societal movement.

“Increasingly, [manufacturers] are looking to trends in hospitality, which are capitalising on a desire for authenticity and using natural ingredients and materials inside the car,” said GlobalData automotive business editor, Simon Warburton.

Another reason why recycled material may have taken off in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData, is due to the rising prominence of ride and car-sharing services.

With more consumers electing to rent, share or hire vehicles, the question of vehicle hygiene has been discussed, as well as how car interiors will respond to a multi-user environment.

“Should the concept of shared and vehicle-on-demand applications become the norm, passenger car users will start to expect much higher cleanliness standards, for example,” said Warburton.

To combat this, automotive brands have turned to rail and aviation manufacturers to look at what materials best serve rigorous daily usage, while studies have also been conducted on the effects different scents have on hiding multiple odours.

“Interior component suppliers are actively working in this field, aiming to provide sanitised cockpits, which offer a high degree of hygiene, no matter how many users there are in a day.”

With new technology making recycling materials easier, cheaper and more sustainable, it is only a matter of time before all manufacturers are incorporating vegan or environmentally friendly materials into the make-up of their entire fleets.

Original source: Cars Guide | Germ-phobic vegan interiors: How car sharing is changing the materials of car cabins

9 Dec 2019