South Korean automaker Kia said at an electric car event day near Seoul earlier this month that they intend to ditch leather and look to bio-based and recycled alternatives, including mycelium mushroom roots, hemp and flax fibers in green composites.
Mushrooms can be a tasty treat, or they can be the cause of bringing about a zombie invasion in some video game or TV show.
Korean automaker Kia considers mushrooms to be a great source of car interiors as well.
The console table in Kia's EV3 and EV4 concepts will use marijuana and mushroom roots, with its company executives saying, "This component is grown, not manufactured."
Kia says the pigment in the EV4's interior materials may come from walnut shells.
In addition to biofill, Kia is considering using more recycled plastics. Like many automakers, it has recognized the potential of post-consumer PET, but it is also evaluating mixed plastics collected from marine debris.
Last summer, Kia received 55 tons of plastic from Netherlands-based Ocean Cleanup, which operates boats to collect trash from waterways around the world. Kia is evaluating how to recycle that plastic and use it in its cars. The goal is to reuse the material in parts starting in 2026, helping to offset the 440 pounds of plastic currently used in the average Kia vehicle.
