Hyundai Working on Bio-Based Leather Alternatives for Car Interiors
Hyundai appears to be joining the list of car companies moving away from genuine leather or at least offering more eco-friendly alternatives.
Through CRADLE, its global open innovation hub based in California’s Silicon Valley, the Korean giant has partnered with UNCAGED Innovations, a leading biomaterials manufacturer, to create new, animal-free leather for automotive interiors. How? By using grain byproducts.
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This is all part of Hyundai Motor Group's efforts (which also includes Kia and luxury brand Genesis) to develop more sustainable materials and components for both electric and gasoline-powered models in the future.
According to the automaker, the breakthrough material reduces resource consumption on multiple fronts, using 95 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, 89 percent less water and 71 percent less energy compared to animal-based leather—apparently without compromising on texture, durability or luxurious quality.
Unlike competitors that rely on carbohydrate-based designs, which lack the molecular structure to behave like skin, UNCAGED Innovations’ product uses grain proteins fused with other plant-based elements to replicate the scaffolding functions of collagen, the primary protein in animal hides, as the press release explains.
“UNCAGED’s grain-based protein leather alternative stood out to us for its unique molecular design and manufacturing process, which allows us to drastically lower environmental impact while meeting the demanding quality and performance standards of automotive interiors,” said Brendon Kim, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai CRADLE Silicon Valley.
When will we see the first applications in Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles? No timeline has been specified, but it is reasonable to expect commercialization to begin later this decade, perhaps even as early as the 2027 model year.