BMW And Mini Will Offer Vegan Interiors From 2023

Sustainability in the automotive industry has many different faces – from local zero-emission vehicles to CO2-free production to recycled materials and more. After offering its customers a number of electric vehicles and slowly moving towards production with renewable energy, the BMW Group is now ready to take the next step and launch a completely vegan interior.

This will happen from next year when certain models and trim levels from BMW and Mini will be offered with fully vegan interiors where traditional leather is replaced with new materials with a leather-like surface, appearance and durability. The automaker predicts a huge increase in demand for leatherless interiors in the future, especially in markets such as the United States, Europe and China. With this step, the BMW Group wants to be at the forefront.

With the introduction of materials such as leather for steering wheels, for example, BMW and Mini will reduce the proportion of components that contain traces of animal ingredients to less than one percent. The material will only be used in interior areas that are not visible to the customer for protective coatings and different additives for paints. More impressively, the new steering wheel surface reduces CO2e emissions along the value chain by approximately 85 percent compared to the steering wheel surface.

Other solutions for lowering CO2 mixes in future products include floor mats made from so-called mono materials, which avoid mixtures that are more difficult to recycle. The BMW Group estimates that as a result of this action, it saves about 23,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, plus about 1,600 tonnes of waste. It will be interesting to see if Rolls-Royce will soon join BMW and Mini in offering vegan interiors. We know the company has the materials and technology but the demand from customers is not there yet.

“With a steering wheel made of high-quality vegan surface materials, we cater to the wishes of our customers who don’t want to compromise in terms of look, feel and functionality,” Uwe Köhler, Head of Development Agency, Exterior Trim, Interior at the BMW Group. “This innovative material is resistant to wear and tear caused by abrasion, sweat and moisture, and has all the desirable properties of leather.”

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