Alternatives to Leather in Automotive Interiors
Leather is noted for being soft and smelly, but it can get scratched, cracked, wear, and stain and hard to keep in good shape, but it’s considered a luxury and costs extra while also increasing a vehicle’s resale value.
Still Automakers are moving beyond leather. BMWs not equipped with leather use a vinyl alternative called SensaTec, while Lexus’ offering is called NuLuxe. The Japanese automaker boasts that NuLuxe is half the weight of leather, too, which can be an asset when it comes to efficiency, as lighter vehicles will use less fuel. Many owners say that NuLuxe is very soft and very close to feeling like real leather.
In fact, many leather alternatives are better choices than the real stuff. Take for instance the MB Tex upholstery, which is found in many Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Described as having “a rich appearance and supple leather-like feel, even in cold weather,” this is a vinyl alternative to leather. Mercedes has used this in its vehicles for decades, and anytime you’ve opened the door to a classic Mercedes, to be greeted by a pristine looking set of seats, it’s likely they’re covered in MB Tex — they’re legendarily durable.
Tesla interior materials are another highlight, especially when optioned with the available Ultra White interior option. Described as “vegan,” the Model X and top-of-the-line Model S are offered with this leather alternative, a move that was put forward by shareholders who were also PETA members. The Model 3 is also offered with this interior setup, which is unique in the industry as being the only truly vegan interior since the steering wheel can also be specially ordered with this vegan offering.
What makes this interesting is that most luxury vehicles will be sold without leather at lower price points offering cloth, vinyl, or other alternatives. Tesla, on the other hand, makes this faux-leather feature available throughout all the trim levels.
Bentley was quoted as saying they’re planning to offer vegan-friendly alternatives to leather in their ultra-luxurious land yachts. Further discussion with the brand’s PR boss Jeff Kuhlman revealed that Bentley is currently just scanning the trends in its demographic, and that “environmental and sustainability issues rank high in the national and in some cases, regional [California] discussion.”
Refer: https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2017/07/what-are-good-alternatives-to-leather-interiors-.html
Some alternatives to Leather:
- Faux Leather. There are many words for this: pleather (plastic leather), synthetic or artificial leather, and so on. …
- Cork Leather. This material is made from the bark of cork oak trees. …
- Microfiber. …
- Ocean Leather. …
- Canvas or Textiles. …
- Vinyl or PVC. …
- Other Natural Materials.
Deliverable:
- Same look & feel as leather.
- Similar physical and chemical performance.
- Same hand feels and comfortable touch as leather.
- Lighter weight than leather.
- Superior durable, tensile strength, break strength, tear strength, pearling strength, abrasion resistance, hydrolysis resistance all beyond leather.
- Easy clean.
- High usage rate.
- Cost effective.
- Eco-friendly.
- Thickness: 0.8mm – 1.4mm.
- Width: 137cm.
- Customized texture and multi colors.
