Modern Meadow Enters Development Partnership With Mercedes-Benz
The use of Mercedes-Benz's LABFIBER Biotech Leather Alternative in the CONCEPT AMG GT XX is based on Modern Meadow's INNOVERA…
Bio-design company Modern Meadow announced that it has entered a development partnership with Mercedes-Benz AG. Mercedes-Benz is using Modern Meadow’s INNOVERA to develop a bio-design leather alternative for its technology program CONCEPT AMG GT XX.
The goal of the development partnership is to further develop this material for series production and set new standards in vehicle interiors, stated company officials in a press release. Made of INNOVERA, the LABFIBER Biotech Leather Alternative consists of a combination of chemically recycled AMG GT3 racing car tires, plant-based proteins and biopolymers.
The recycling process is conducted in accordance with the mass balance approach. Because it replicates key properties of the collagens found in leather, the material offers a level of design freedom equivalent to that of traditional leather and can be produced with different finishes such as nubuck, full grain or suede, and in various colors and haptics, noted the release.
“At Modern Meadow, we are redefining automotive interior possibilities with INNOVERA, our next-generation transformative material that brings beauty, performance and sustainability into perfect balance,” said CEO David Williamson, PhD. “In our development partnership with Mercedes-Benz, we have used INNOVERA to create a new luxury leather alternative without sacrificing aesthetics, versatility and texture. It looks and feels as good as it performs.”
Renewable Carbon Content of INNOVERA Is Lighter & Stronger Than Traditional Materials
Modern Meadow says that its INNOVERA achieves more than 80% renewable carbon content and is completely animal-free. INNOVERA requires no special preservation or storage conditions, which reduces complexity and costs, and is adaptable to any standard manufacturing process.
Modern Meadow claims that its commercial production capabilities make INNOVERA readily available to customers and simplify supply chain issues across the furniture, automotive, fashion, footwear and accessories industries.
In the CONCEPT AMG GT XX, one scrap tire provides the basis for approximately 4 square meters of this new, bio-designed material. The black seat pads of the bucket seats are covered with the Nappa-look variant. The company states that the bio-design means the leather alternative is breathable and waterproof, as well as lighter than traditional materials. Its maximum tensile strength is also twice as high as that of traditional materials, making it robust and performant.
With these unique properties, the material represents the new dimension of performance, which the technology program stands for in the vehicle’s interior, according to the press release. Modern Meadow’s bio-design technology used to create this leather alternative included recycled racing tires that were used in tough competition on AMG GT3 customer racing cars.
