Designs to Dye for: Autonomy's New-Materials Revolution

From pineapples to bacteria, Envisage's research is focused on new mobility's ‘inside’ story.

Evolving vehicle engineering constantly reshapes vehicle architectures. But along with electrified drive-trains and autonomous capabilities is the need for a mindset shift in materials, opening the way for new sustainable solutions in color, materials and finish (CMF). Future cabins could have pineapple, banana, coconut and eucalyptus among the material solutions-with bacteria playing a potentially positive role.

All these sources are at play for research designer Sammie Mayers-Nissen and her colleagues at Envisage, the U.K.-based specialist engineering services provider helping to find sustainable alternatives to plastic, leather and harmful dyes that still meet quality, durability and cost demands. “As always, in terms of R&D of alternative materials and color, production-cost consideration is the massive driver, with performance very close behind,” said Mayers-Nissen.