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The reveal of the Kia Concept EV4 not only grabbed our attention for its stunning design and luxurious interior, but also because it reflects the automaker’s impressive commitment to sustainability. Kia is setting new benchmarks to protect the future of our environment through the use of new and innovative materials. As it continues to transform into an electric vehicle brand, it also has a list of ten must-have sustainable items for all its future models.
Inspired by nature
The new Concept EV4 is exciting for so many reasons, not least of all because its premium and minimalist interior showcases many of these items. Aligned with Kia’s exterior design theme for the concept of ‘Joy for Reason’, the interior is subtle and luxurious in equal measure. The innovative Colour, Materials and Finish (CMF) design team at Kia have used nature, not only as the inspiration for the interior of the concept, but also as the source of many of its sustainable fabrics.
The team were inspired by one of the four natural elements; Earth, and set to work using as many of nature’s materials as possible. One of the most intriguing of these is mycelium, a material that is grown rather than manufactured. It uses the roots of mushrooms combined with low-resource-demanding hemp fibre.
“Mycelium, which comes from mushroom roots, combines excellent strength with an extremely soft surface,” says Marília Biill, Head of CMF Design at the automaker. “Developing grown materials, a process referred to as bio fabrication, is a major goal for Kia.”
Biill says the use of mycelium is still at an early stage and the team are working with a number of partners to continue to develop it. That probably means it won’t be in the production version of the Concept EV4, but we suspect it won’t be long until the idea mushrooms into mainstream reality.
Sustainable luxury
Natural fibres have been used for the seat structures making them lighter and slimmer than traditional seats. Their covers feature 3D Knit technology with zero waste production, while also being extremely comfortable and long-lasting. Nettle roots and walnut shells have been utilised to provide other fabric surfaces as well as creating natural textures that feel warm and luxurious to the touch.
For the centre console table, a cleverly designed piece that can slide so it can be used by front and rear passengers, the CMF team again turned to natural hemp fibres.
“Hemp is a rapidly growing plant that requires minimal resources to cultivate,” explains Biill. “Not only is it highly sustainable, but it’s also highly mouldable too, which means it is a very versatile material to work with, plus it enhances the EV concept’s cabin with its beautiful rich colour.”
Kia’s must-have list of sustainable items
While not all of these materials will make it to production models immediately, Kia believes that sustainability should be at the core of everything it does and already has an impressive track record. The Kia Soul EV featured bioplastic and sugar cane bio fibres as far back as 2014, and the new EV9 flagship that has just gone on sale in the UK, takes things even further, featuring elements of Kia’s sustainability must-have list.
This list includes bioplastic produced from biomass sources such as corn extract, vegetable oils, sugar cane and sawdust. This material can be used for many of the traditional plastic components including the dashboard, centre console and door trims.
Bio Polyurethane is being used as a replacement for leather. Made from plant-based components it is as comfortable and hard-wearing as traditional animal hide with the same feeling of luxury. So too is Kia’s latest generation of sustainable carpets, which can be made from 100% recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate, more commonly referred to as PET. Some of this material can even be sourced from recycled fishing nets.
Bio polyurethane foam can be used for the cushions in the seats and Kia is even changing its exterior paint to use bio paint and BTX-free paint, which removes the hydrocarbons of benzene, toluene and xylene.
Kia’s latest sustainability innovations will be applied across all its new models and highlight how the automaker is breaking with the traditional norms. The combination of its design and research and development teams continue to discover exciting new materials that are not only more aligned with nature, but more luxurious too. It’s all part of Kia’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions and become carbon neutral across its entire business. That’s great news for us and great news for our environment.
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