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11:41 yes, but you could also compare it to vegetable tanned leather that comes from pasture raised cattle, slaughtered on-site/pasture and as a byproduct of meat production. meat production isn’t going away anytime soon, so the “production” chain might as well be heavily regulated with regards to animal welfare. and while you probably can’t push this thru on national/EU level (yet), you certainly could push it on car manufacturer level 🤷♂️ (disclaimer: i’m a flexitarian and prefer alcantara/velour/fabric seats to leather/leatherette)
@@kam_iko The "byproduct" argument counts as little as we should take the skins of dead dogs because their skin is available. If we pay for dead mammals in a car, we fund the industry that earns money with killing.
Plastic is a kind of "HC" combination. With wind and solar power we can extract H from water (H2O), and C from CO2. Then we "put" H and C together. Then we could talk of a short circuit, instead of the long circuit in the nature. The first step is made that's it to make H2 of solar and wind power.
This material is missing in the Tesla option list. Plastic seats and poor ergonomy put me of from buying T3. Bought Superb Scout wit alcantata instead. Prrfect ergonomy and nice seats. Same price range 😉
@@autogefuehlThey are still going to be killed for food, so the leather is available anyway. Far more animals are being slaughtered for food then they are for their leather, abandoning leather all together would mean that that resource just gets wasted. What I really question about leather is, sure, animal leather is biodegradable as it is, but I have never seen a study to see how degradable it is after being processed. That would be interesting information, since it's almost impossible to recycle, unless you have a good piece that fits your use and just re-treat it.
This is a great new development in Autogefuhl content. It gets away from just coverage of new vehicles and tells us more about the industries which go into the vehicles. So thank you Thomas. That is not to say I want to see a whole series on seat cover technology. It does however open up content about energy storage technologies for vehicles (batteries, hydrogen, fuel cells) where a lot is happening; developments in the thousands of chips which now go into our cars; energy recuperation technology, much of it from F1; and of course there are the new electric motor developments. There is a whole lot to mine here and keep us informed. I still want the car reviews though.
Fantastic video, Thomas. Thank you for this deep dive. It’s great to see how Alcantara is being made and especially the Complex Manufacturing shows how much work goes into a special car seat. THANK YOU! 😊
It's basically plastic. Some precipitate from some petrol related reaction. Not sure why this is good but I guess the Ministry of Truth has repeated it enough so it must be good.
People are also not really taking into account how damaging the microplastics from these products entering our ecosystem and bodies is, in terms of cancers, immune dysfunction etc. I understand some of the "humane" arguments but the accumulation of plastics will end up wiping out everything in the end anyways. Many of the whitepapers and detection rates of the microplastics released this year are scary.
Perfect work Thomas great Video. I think Alcantara first introduction in Autobianchi Y10 1985. Later renamed Lancia Y10. Had some in the interior and a small handy document bag that came with the car. That is what I remember from my Dad's car. The Autobianchi Y10 in 1985 it was amazing, had lots of luxury and tech for the price. We had one, the colour name was Petro Blue. Funny cocktail with the black trunk. Do you remember that car? Autobianchi Y10 and Autobianchi Y10 Turbo. Curiosity Alcantara is also a place in Lisbon were we lived. 🎉🎉thank you for your great video
thank you very much for this visit and to explain us how Alcantara is made. The most interesting was your conclusion on plastic and environment and I totally agree with you and your questions on alternatives and the major levers to pull. great job Thomas.
Thomas, I love these types of videos because it’s not possible to get this type of unbiased information anywhere else. I have seen people argue that the animal skin from cows is from the meat industry and these skins are going to be thrown away if there is no market for them. Is any of that true? We are only talking about mass production vehicles, not Rolls Royce level animal skin. Thank you so much Thomas, your channel is awesome.
What is true is that the meat consumption of "modern" countries has become that excessive that you have a lot of dead mammal body parts available. The crucial point is however that by every new funding of that process, including giving money to factories to use animal hide, you make killing mammals more profitable. As a customer, you pay for what shall be done. I rather pay for new modern materials where companies try their best to minimize their impact while not using animals or oppressing humans.
@@autogefuehlThank you Thomas! I now have the information that I was missing when combatting those that don’t care about using non animal products when making choices about what to buy. The best thing that I learned from you years ago is to call it what it is, animal skin and not leather, because that sounds like a wonderful product.
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Thank you, very interesting. I dont particularly like leather car seats and would prefer fabric, however the cows will still be killed for their meat. So unless that changes it seems to make more sense to use the byproduct which would otherwise be thrown away than use oil/plastic products.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment. You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable. A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally. In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse? We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
@@autogefuehl thank you for the detailed reply. In my last 3 cars there was no choice but leather, hopefully next time there will be an alternative. Keep up the excellent car reviews, they are the best on you tube 👍
What I'm curious about is the markup they put on Alcantara. Being a mass produced plastic product I would imagine it's a pretty cheap product to make overall. I suppose what bugs me about it is I get the impression it's one of those products that's mostly marketing and they're over charging for what the product should be. Now, some will argue if they can charge that much and people will pay it then good for them. OK, sure. But that doesn't mean I have to fall for it. I personally try to avoid supporting products like that.
Thank you for this vid. As a car enthusiast, working in car world, I'm reading about and using the name Alcantara for the whole of my 47 years. And I'm today years old to discover what it really is!
Excellent informative video. Essentially, [recycled] plastic pellets are shown to become an ultra durable synthetic suede like material through many processes. Really interesting stuff.
Wow! Thank you for that lengthy chat on the environmental impact. I was surprised in the beginning to learn that microfiber/alcantara is made from plastic pellets. Then your chat at the end was very good. Learned lots there as well about the environmental impact, which levers to pull. Much appreciated
interesting video Thomas , would definitely watch similar topics. the enviro talk at the end was informative too! ps. a review of that lancia would be amazing ?!
Animal skin use is definitely more economically feasible, because people just eat cows, pure and simple. Cowhide is a by-product of meat production. Not to mention that leather lasts much longer than anything plastic. An Alcantara steering wheel after 4-5 years is shit, and needs to be replaced, even if you take really good care of it.
In my former business, I used to visit factories on a regular basis. I sold equipment they would use on their machines. It’s always great to see something being created that we take for granted. Thank you for sharing your experience. Now I have to go see if my car has Alcantara or Microfiber.
Thank you for a great and informative video about Alcantara. In the closing climate speech I agree with many of the points made. I don't think animals are killed just to give us leather car interiors, shoes and what not. These leather things are bi-products and why feel bad about putting something to use, which otherwise probably is burnt to produce heat.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment. You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable. A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally. In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse? We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
Alcantara is a Synthetic Suede (Fake Suede). I personally don't like it, I don't believe it to be a "premium" material. But the brand has an incredible marketing team and auto brands have been using it for a while because they can overcharge customers a premium for this fake and inexpensive material.
Great video. A lot of people like the ease of cleaning, that comes with the leather seats. It would have been interesting to hear a bit materials, that try to match those features. I've also seen some manufacturers use wool on seats.
People refuse to recognize how water intensive and inefficient raising animals for our consumption really is. The meat & animal bi-products industries have brainwashed people into believing that these processes are small scale local operations with minimal impact. Even the smallest fine leather producers in Morocco have extremely water intensive processes. Smilar operations in Asia for example leave locals without clean water used for bathing drinking or washing clothes.
Wool is the answer. Cool in the summer and keeps heat in the winter. There is no animal cruelty involved and its not a synthetic material. Toyota uses it for their Crown top of the line cars. Most likely it would be impossible to scale it so that all car manufacturers would use wool for all their trims but its a natural and sustainable approach.
Tested in the recent Volvos, the wool share seat is hot in summer and scratchy on the skin. On the animal side, factory wool production involves cruelty plus the animals are slaughtered when wool quality isn’t sufficient anymore. th-cam.com/video/deHNomts8bo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=jvDCOBJBUW3QHk7Q
Very informative and interesting video. We added it to the Alcantara section of our large "Seat upholstery & materials" article for seats. Maybe you get the possibility to visit the Dinamica factory also. They claim to be more sustainable than Alcantara. (But I know they have been fighting in the courts over that claims). Keep up the good work for the car community!
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment. You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable. A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally. In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse? We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
Good one, Thomas. The question on "the alternative" is absolutely crucial, as you said. One must also keep form, function and sustainability in mind. Although for car interiors and even home furniture Alcantara is perfectly suited and a better alternative than animal skin, there are purposes where the durability of animal leather is unmatched, such as heavy duty boots. I have tested several materials myself, and when it comes to hiking boots, my yak leather boots are the most durable and easy to maintain, going strong even after 7 years of regular use. The choice of animal leather vs plastic alternatives depends on the application. Great to have such videos on technologies behind the cars we love, keep them coming. How about a video on the recycling of tyres? Cheers, Govind
i have a porsche gt4 and not really a fan of alcantara. i would prefer leather, especially high touch surfaces like steering wheel, shift knob, arm rest, console and seat inserts. Alcantara picks up dirt and hand grease and needs to be cleaned and fluffed frequently so therefore is a high maintenance fabric. I would prefer leather for most things in the car. Dashboard, headliner, fine.
It makes a good material for surfaces that aren’t frequently touched. But it’s a junk material as primary seat upholstery. Just like matte paint jobs, it looks great until it goes catastrophically bad.
I like ALL your items, but this one had my special interest because I recently ordered a Hyundai Kona Hybrid N-line with Alcantara seats. Thanks for the insight!
Thank you -Excellent Vid ... This video confirms to me that Alcantara is not a premium material when compared to real leather. I understand why now it is replacing leather more and more and I am ok with this, nor do I not mind it in my own cars but when compared to leather ...no comparison.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment. You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable. A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally. In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse? We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
Volvo wool seats are bad because they are scratching on the skin and get extremely hot, tried them this summer, the other choices in the new volvos are better
Interesting video. With regards to the CO2 associated with leather, do the calculations assume that the hides used are effectively a waste product from food production? If so, this will alter significantly the amount of carbon for leather, because you’re using a natural product that would otherwise go to waste
animal leather is not a natural product, it is highly processed. These calculations are even just based on economic impact (share the profit of the hide has for the producer and this part of the whole co2 output), so the real impact on environment and animals isnt even in that calculation.
Outstanding 2nd part of video! I love someone put all those facts out! In the end, an expert from ex paper factory said that PAPER is one of the worst material and also for recycling, yet plastic bags are banned and replaced with paper ones. As he said, plastic is perfect material, IF (!) we would racycle and not leave everywhere. I almost hate being European lately because so wrong direction we go. Banning plastic straws for drinking ... they could make thick and reusable ones! But now they give worthless paper ones that are wrapped in plastic at delivery. Than limiting vacuum cleaners power will also save a planet. Than changing bottle cap, so it is much harder to open and use ... it made me to start pulling that away and deliberately throw them into the nature, after 30+ years of collecting them and selling PP material. Generally, as you said, plastic is been removed or limited from our general sight and useful everyday aids were replaced by useless alternatives, but actual plastic consumption goes higher every year, especially in fabric industry where it is already ultimately hard to find clothes that are without plastic. Can we blame UK to leave EU? I also regret we opted to join.
Thank you Thomas. You've always presented a strong opinion on use of animal skin and I've no doubt your content has helped change public opinion and manufacturer support towards more sustainable options. Keep it up. 👍
@@autogefuehlIn fact, the last two cars I've owned, I've chosen more sustainable options (for their interiors at least). A Skoda Superb 280 estate with alcantara seats and more recently a BMW iX with microfibre seats and recycled fishing net based car mats. Driven in a large part by your advocacy.
@@autogefuehl It’s the “Loft” interior; kind of a stony grey blue colour. Apparently it’s made of natural wool fibres rather than man made microfibre, but at least it’s not animal skin.
I have watch some DW documentaries about plastic recycling and it seems like most plastics can't be recycled or you can recycle it only once or it is sent to other countries for "recycling". I don't believe companies when they claim how much plastic they recycled because it is just a PR stunt. I do agree that plastic use in cars are for long-term use but at the end of its lifetime the plastic ends up on the rubbish anyway. In the end of the day we must look at how we can reduce the impact. However, companies don't want to pay and rather make the person who bought the product responsible.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment. You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable. A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally. In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse? We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
The problem with not using real leather is that we eat cows and other animals, so the skin is already there, we don't need to make another product if we have it. Sure, that is if it is enough of it, I haven't seen statistics about this. The other concern is with plastics and other human-made substances that are in contact with our body, like Teflon and the older (I hope) fire-proof substances that can have direct effects to our health. We are just starting to see that microplastics and teflon-like substances are in our blood, without knowing exactly the effects.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment. You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable. A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally. In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse? We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
@@autogefuehl But the surface area of car seats and roof liner is much greater and in closer contact than the other plastic parts that are hidden beneath panels, the microfiber suede texture is constantly shedding off tiny particulates of plastic, way more than a woven fabric. The chemicals used in tanning leather do not shed and are not dangerous after treatment, unless you try to eat it maybe. I personally hold my health at the top of my priority list, in my opinion the best solution is to get rid of natural leather and plastic fibers and use plant based materials like you mentioned. (also recycled plastic is a lot more toxic than than fresh plastic so that is not an alternative in the long run)
Very informative video with very solid argumentation against using animal skin. Recently shopping for a Porsche, I was surprised and disappointed that animal skin seats were the only choice on the "S" trim 718. Alcantara or even fabric would have been superior in my opinion.
I wonder whether these plastics will be like what lead used to be for so many years. It will be an interesting retrospective at some point in the future for sure.
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00:00 Alcantara for the Kimera EVO37
01:34 Factory tour: first raw material
02:34 Unraveling for fine structure
03:33 Condensing for make it sturdy
04:00 Second ingredient
04:16 Dyeing process for coloring
05:07 Individual styles and stitching
07:52 Alcantara fashion and furniture
08:18 The plastic argument
#Alcantara
Transparency note: Autogefühl videos are independent and free from editorial influence on opinion and rating. But since manufacturers enable us to do the reviews in the first place, for legal reasons this video is marked as _advertisement_.
11:41 yes, but you could also compare it to vegetable tanned leather that comes from pasture raised cattle, slaughtered on-site/pasture and as a byproduct of meat production.
meat production isn’t going away anytime soon, so the “production” chain might as well be heavily regulated with regards to animal welfare. and while you probably can’t push this thru on national/EU level (yet), you certainly could push it on car manufacturer level 🤷♂️
(disclaimer: i’m a flexitarian and prefer alcantara/velour/fabric seats to leather/leatherette)
@@kam_iko The "byproduct" argument counts as little as we should take the skins of dead dogs because their skin is available. If we pay for dead mammals in a car, we fund the industry that earns money with killing.
Plastic is a kind of "HC" combination. With wind and solar power we can extract H from water (H2O), and C from CO2. Then we "put" H and C together.
Then we could talk of a short circuit, instead of the long circuit in the nature.
The first step is made that's it to make H2 of solar and wind power.
This material is missing in the Tesla option list.
Plastic seats and poor ergonomy put me of from buying T3.
Bought Superb Scout wit alcantata instead. Prrfect ergonomy and nice seats. Same price range 😉
@@autogefuehlThey are still going to be killed for food, so the leather is available anyway.
Far more animals are being slaughtered for food then they are for their leather, abandoning leather all together would mean that that resource just gets wasted.
What I really question about leather is, sure, animal leather is biodegradable as it is, but I have never seen a study to see how degradable it is after being processed. That would be interesting information, since it's almost impossible to recycle, unless you have a good piece that fits your use and just re-treat it.
This is a great new development in Autogefuhl content. It gets away from just coverage of new vehicles and tells us more about the industries which go into the vehicles. So thank you Thomas.
That is not to say I want to see a whole series on seat cover technology. It does however open up content about energy storage technologies for vehicles (batteries, hydrogen, fuel cells) where a lot is happening; developments in the thousands of chips which now go into our cars; energy recuperation technology, much of it from F1; and of course there are the new electric motor developments. There is a whole lot to mine here and keep us informed.
I still want the car reviews though.
Fantastic work Thomas. The best automotive journalist in my eyes. And personally I absolutely love the German lessons you provide us with! Thank you
Thanks so much m8!
Thomas is so clever and he also looks the part , a really look up to him he's just so class and handsome ❤
thanks my friend !
Fantastic video, Thomas. Thank you for this deep dive. It’s great to see how Alcantara is being made and especially the Complex Manufacturing shows how much work goes into a special car seat. THANK YOU! 😊
👍🙏
Alcantara is made from Microfiber, the same thing that inexpensive bed linen is made of. Just woven differently.
And it causes allergies
It's a cheap material that kind of looks premium but is fragile and difficult to maintain
Horrible stuff, pig's ear rather than silk purse
It's basically plastic. Some precipitate from some petrol related reaction. Not sure why this is good but I guess the Ministry of Truth has repeated it enough so it must be good.
Yummy yummy microplastics, eat them up yum yum!
As someone who has worked in a landfill. Leather seats decompose. Microfibre ones dont.
A microfibre seat you can easily burn and gain energy from it. A car leather seat is tanned and coated in order not to decompose
People are also not really taking into account how damaging the microplastics from these products entering our ecosystem and bodies is, in terms of cancers, immune dysfunction etc. I understand some of the "humane" arguments but the accumulation of plastics will end up wiping out everything in the end anyways. Many of the whitepapers and detection rates of the microplastics released this year are scary.
I m totally pro plant fibres, however car seats is the least problem of microplastics
Very very good video again Thomas. Thanks! Especially the explanation in the end about plastic use in car fabrics.
Thanks m8!
I'm also amazed at those who design the factory machines.
Excellent! More videos like this!
Autogefuhl is the best!
😎👍
wow I had no idea, I figured it was a natural fiber. really impressive to see behind the curtain.
THIS is why your channel is the best car review channel on the internet! Very good and informative video!!
🙏🙏
very cool format. Please keep making this kind of content, it's very interesting and informative!
cheers !
Best Car Channel 💪🔥 without the nonsense and straight to the point and great car Rewievs...
thanks so much !!
Perfect work Thomas great Video. I think Alcantara first introduction in Autobianchi Y10 1985. Later renamed Lancia Y10. Had some in the interior and a small handy document bag that came with the car. That is what I remember from my Dad's car. The Autobianchi Y10 in 1985 it was amazing, had lots of luxury and tech for the price. We had one, the colour name was Petro Blue. Funny cocktail with the black trunk. Do you remember that car? Autobianchi Y10 and Autobianchi Y10 Turbo. Curiosity Alcantara is also a place in Lisbon were we lived. 🎉🎉thank you for your great video
Good info thanks 🙏
I remember that car and its alcantara interior. It looked great! 😍😍
and now it's only natural that you visit the vegan leather factory!
Lol!
@@alanincentraljersey why
You mean the plastic factory?
The nylon factory!
there we go with the plastic argument again 🥱
thank you very much for this visit and to explain us how Alcantara is made. The most interesting was your conclusion on plastic and environment and I totally agree with you and your questions on alternatives and the major levers to pull. great job Thomas.
Thomas, I love these types of videos because it’s not possible to get this type of unbiased information anywhere else. I have seen people argue that the animal skin from cows is from the meat industry and these skins are going to be thrown away if there is no market for them. Is any of that true? We are only talking about mass production vehicles, not Rolls Royce level animal skin. Thank you so much Thomas, your channel is awesome.
Cheers! U re welcome!
What is true is that the meat consumption of "modern" countries has become that excessive that you have a lot of dead mammal body parts available. The crucial point is however that by every new funding of that process, including giving money to factories to use animal hide, you make killing mammals more profitable. As a customer, you pay for what shall be done. I rather pay for new modern materials where companies try their best to minimize their impact while not using animals or oppressing humans.
@@autogefuehlThank you Thomas! I now have the information that I was missing when combatting those that don’t care about using non animal products when making choices about what to buy. The best thing that I learned from you years ago is to call it what it is, animal skin and not leather, because that sounds like a wonderful product.
Highly appreciated my friend!
Alcantata:Microfiber to Kleenex:Tissue
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. Been curious about that for so long.
😁
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Thank you, very interesting. I dont particularly like leather car seats and would prefer fabric, however the cows will still be killed for their meat. So unless that changes it seems to make more sense to use the byproduct which would otherwise be thrown away than use oil/plastic products.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment.
You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable.
A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html
And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html
New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html
More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html
Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html
For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html
Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally.
In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse?
We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
@@autogefuehl thank you for the detailed reply. In my last 3 cars there was no choice but leather, hopefully next time there will be an alternative. Keep up the excellent car reviews, they are the best on you tube 👍
Thanks so much!
What I'm curious about is the markup they put on Alcantara. Being a mass produced plastic product I would imagine it's a pretty cheap product to make overall. I suppose what bugs me about it is I get the impression it's one of those products that's mostly marketing and they're over charging for what the product should be. Now, some will argue if they can charge that much and people will pay it then good for them. OK, sure. But that doesn't mean I have to fall for it. I personally try to avoid supporting products like that.
What a great video of not just car reviews but also how the materials are made. Makes you appreciate it more. Fantastic work
thanks so much! please recommend our channel :-)
Thank you for this vid. As a car enthusiast, working in car world, I'm reading about and using the name Alcantara for the whole of my 47 years. And I'm today years old to discover what it really is!
highly appreciated! Keep tuning in !
Excellent informative video. Essentially, [recycled] plastic pellets are shown to become an ultra durable synthetic suede like material through many processes. Really interesting stuff.
👍👍
An awesome video Thomas!
Thanks 🙏
Wow! Thank you for that lengthy chat on the environmental impact. I was surprised in the beginning to learn that microfiber/alcantara is made from plastic pellets. Then your chat at the end was very good. Learned lots there as well about the environmental impact, which levers to pull. Much appreciated
thanks so much! Glad you liked it !
Awesome video, I've been working with this stuff for over 15 years in my own Automotive upholstery business. It's nice to see it come together.
Great video, I definitely learned some things about Alcantara!
Excellent work Thomas. Appreciate you and your team. 👍
Highly appreciated!!
interesting video Thomas , would definitely watch similar topics. the enviro talk at the end was informative too!
ps. a review of that lancia would be amazing ?!
Appreciated!
Yeah sadly didnt have time for the Kimera
"Always search for the biggest lever you can pull." Needed that, brother, thank you.
;-)
Animal skin use is definitely more economically feasible, because people just eat cows, pure and simple. Cowhide is a by-product of meat production. Not to mention that leather lasts much longer than anything plastic. An Alcantara steering wheel after 4-5 years is shit, and needs to be replaced, even if you take really good care of it.
Really really appreciate this video!! Thank you Thomas! Good to know all this details.
Appreciated!
This video is a great idea, would love to see more content like this in the future
I remember those seats from my old man’s thema interior there was nothing like it. 👌🏻
Yes and I had a Lancia (Autobianci) Y10 Turbo with Alcantara ® on the dash board. A luxurious place to be in !
In my former business, I used to visit factories on a regular basis. I sold equipment they would use on their machines. It’s always great to see something being created that we take for granted. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Now I have to go see if my car has Alcantara or Microfiber.
Great and unique video Thomas. Thanks.
👍👍
Interesting and informative,, 👍👍
Thank you Thomas.
👍
Great tour, and what a fun new facts-video 😊 Great job 👍👍
Thanks m8👍👍
How have I missed this video? Very informative and cool!
thanks! Please share! =)
A very interesting & informative video really good well done 👍👍👍
Highly appreciated!
This is a very informative video of a very unique topic. Great job.
highly appreciated !
The video I never knew I needed😅
hehe awesome =)
Thank you for a great and informative video about Alcantara. In the closing climate speech I agree with many of the points made. I don't think animals are killed just to give us leather car interiors, shoes and what not. These leather things are bi-products and why feel bad about putting something to use, which otherwise probably is burnt to produce heat.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment.
You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable.
A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html
And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html
New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html
More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html
Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html
For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html
Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally.
In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse?
We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
Excellent point on the seats/ covering making up only a small percentage of unfashionable materials used in an average vehicle.
👍
Alcantara is a Synthetic Suede (Fake Suede). I personally don't like it, I don't believe it to be a "premium" material. But the brand has an incredible marketing team and auto brands have been using it for a while because they can overcharge customers a premium for this fake and inexpensive material.
Great video. A lot of people like the ease of cleaning, that comes with the leather seats. It would have been interesting to hear a bit materials, that try to match those features. I've also seen some manufacturers use wool on seats.
....Wow very well done-absoloutely amazing video, learned so much new info, thank you so much for the video😃😃.. Takecare..
thanks keep tuning in !
People refuse to recognize how water intensive and inefficient raising animals for our consumption really is. The meat & animal bi-products industries have brainwashed people into believing that these processes are small scale local operations with minimal impact. Even the smallest fine leather producers in Morocco have extremely water intensive processes. Smilar operations in Asia for example leave locals without clean water used for bathing drinking or washing clothes.
Exactly like u say.
Surprisingly interesting!
Thank you
Wool is the answer. Cool in the summer and keeps heat in the winter. There is no animal cruelty involved and its not a synthetic material. Toyota uses it for their Crown top of the line cars. Most likely it would be impossible to scale it so that all car manufacturers would use wool for all their trims but its a natural and sustainable approach.
Tested in the recent Volvos, the wool share seat is hot in summer and scratchy on the skin. On the animal side, factory wool production involves cruelty plus the animals are slaughtered when wool quality isn’t sufficient anymore. th-cam.com/video/deHNomts8bo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=jvDCOBJBUW3QHk7Q
Very informative and interesting video. We added it to the Alcantara section of our large "Seat upholstery & materials" article for seats. Maybe you get the possibility to visit the Dinamica factory also. They claim to be more sustainable than Alcantara. (But I know they have been fighting in the courts over that claims). Keep up the good work for the car community!
Thanks 🙏
Very interesting, thank you for this excellent production!
very educational! Keep up the good work.
Thanks please share 🙏
The Downpart of Alcantara is that it wears out rather quickly compared to leather or cloth. It is also high maintenance as it gets dirty quickly.
all depends on the quality grade that is used in comparison. There are bad quality grades of materials out there and good quality grades
I agree - nothing is as good as genuine, quality leather for ease of cleaning, longevity and the feel which improves with age.
A very fine and informative presentation!
Very informative video. I have new respect for the material's expense. Thanks!
Just use leather, wool or cotton for car interiors, oil is meant to be turned into gasoline which is then turned into horsepower.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment.
You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable.
A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html
And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html
New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html
More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html
Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html
For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html
Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally.
In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse?
We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
I used to think Alcantara was made from leather. I am now a primary fan of microfiber fabrics. Great video!
Thanks 🙏
Good one, Thomas. The question on "the alternative" is absolutely crucial, as you said. One must also keep form, function and sustainability in mind. Although for car interiors and even home furniture Alcantara is perfectly suited and a better alternative than animal skin, there are purposes where the durability of animal leather is unmatched, such as heavy duty boots. I have tested several materials myself, and when it comes to hiking boots, my yak leather boots are the most durable and easy to maintain, going strong even after 7 years of regular use. The choice of animal leather vs plastic alternatives depends on the application. Great to have such videos on technologies behind the cars we love, keep them coming. How about a video on the recycling of tyres? Cheers, Govind
👍
i have a porsche gt4 and not really a fan of alcantara. i would prefer leather, especially high touch surfaces like steering wheel, shift knob, arm rest, console and seat inserts. Alcantara picks up dirt and hand grease and needs to be cleaned and fluffed frequently so therefore is a high maintenance fabric. I would prefer leather for most things in the car. Dashboard, headliner, fine.
matter of preference, all slick surfaces however can be made in high-grade leatherette
This is really interesting! Big thanks Thomas and the team.👍👍
thanks for tuning in !
great video , Thomas more vdeos like this please
Thanks m8!
It makes a good material for surfaces that aren’t frequently touched. But it’s a junk material as primary seat upholstery. Just like matte paint jobs, it looks great until it goes catastrophically bad.
Oh wow. Love these type of video as well as others about M cars ONLY😁
Very interesting and informative thank you for sharing! - (Also the Lancia was incredibly beautiful!) 😁
I like ALL your items, but this one had my special interest because I recently ordered a Hyundai Kona Hybrid N-line with Alcantara seats. Thanks for the insight!
Great video, Thomas.👍
thanks my friend !
very insightful! thanks Thomas
Highly appreciated!
Based Thomas. Sweet tour.
Thank you -Excellent Vid ... This video confirms to me that Alcantara is not a premium material when compared to real leather. I understand why now it is replacing leather more and more and I am ok with this, nor do I not mind it in my own cars but when compared to leather ...no comparison.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment.
You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable.
A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html
And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html
New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html
More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html
Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html
For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html
Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally.
In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse?
We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
Interesting. Though I like leather seats, and meat.
Nothing nastier than an Alcantara steering wheel. Not sure who's idea it was to use Alcantara for surfaces that you touch.
Very informative. Thank you.
I bought a 2023 BMW X1 with black Alcantara seats with blue stitching. They are easy to clean, look very high end and comfortable.
Mushroom leather its developing as well. I hope one day we will find a good replacement for plastic
Interesting show! Thanks….hats off to Volvo for trying the wool approach to its seat coverings!
Thanks 🙏
Volvo wool seats are bad because they are scratching on the skin and get extremely hot, tried them this summer, the other choices in the new volvos are better
Interesting video. With regards to the CO2 associated with leather, do the calculations assume that the hides used are effectively a waste product from food production? If so, this will alter significantly the amount of carbon for leather, because you’re using a natural product that would otherwise go to waste
animal leather is not a natural product, it is highly processed. These calculations are even just based on economic impact (share the profit of the hide has for the producer and this part of the whole co2 output), so the real impact on environment and animals isnt even in that calculation.
Outstanding 2nd part of video! I love someone put all those facts out!
In the end, an expert from ex paper factory said that PAPER is one of the worst material and also for recycling, yet plastic bags are banned and replaced with paper ones. As he said, plastic is perfect material, IF (!) we would racycle and not leave everywhere. I almost hate being European lately because so wrong direction we go. Banning plastic straws for drinking ... they could make thick and reusable ones! But now they give worthless paper ones that are wrapped in plastic at delivery. Than limiting vacuum cleaners power will also save a planet. Than changing bottle cap, so it is much harder to open and use ... it made me to start pulling that away and deliberately throw them into the nature, after 30+ years of collecting them and selling PP material. Generally, as you said, plastic is been removed or limited from our general sight and useful everyday aids were replaced by useless alternatives, but actual plastic consumption goes higher every year, especially in fabric industry where it is already ultimately hard to find clothes that are without plastic. Can we blame UK to leave EU? I also regret we opted to join.
My back hurts like hell but videos like this one here help distract 🤩
enjoy! Also got some back ache atm I know what you are talking about...
Alcantara is also a very nice material for watch straps 🤩
This is great. I would like more of stuff like this.
Wonderful restomod
Wonderful Alcantara
Very interesting video. Congrat’ Thomas.
highly appreciated !
Your video was clear to point out the marketing hype and greenwashing the manufacturer was implying. Good to know.
I love my Alcantara couch.
Thank you Thomas. You've always presented a strong opinion on use of animal skin and I've no doubt your content has helped change public opinion and manufacturer support towards more sustainable options. Keep it up. 👍
I highly value your support !
@@autogefuehlIn fact, the last two cars I've owned, I've chosen more sustainable options (for their interiors at least). A Skoda Superb 280 estate with alcantara seats and more recently a BMW iX with microfibre seats and recycled fishing net based car mats. Driven in a large part by your advocacy.
cool !
what iX trim is it? I think they dont offer microfibre on the iX, do they?
@@autogefuehl It’s the “Loft” interior; kind of a stony grey blue colour. Apparently it’s made of natural wool fibres rather than man made microfibre, but at least it’s not animal skin.
I have watch some DW documentaries about plastic recycling and it seems like most plastics can't be recycled or you can recycle it only once or it is sent to other countries for "recycling". I don't believe companies when they claim how much plastic they recycled because it is just a PR stunt. I do agree that plastic use in cars are for long-term use but at the end of its lifetime the plastic ends up on the rubbish anyway. In the end of the day we must look at how we can reduce the impact. However, companies don't want to pay and rather make the person who bought the product responsible.
Recycling indeed only makes sense if it is done correctly and efficient. That's why it is even more important to take the most efficient raw materials
I look forward to your tour of the Tesla Giga Factory, that measuring device will be very useful and don't forget to check the door sound
Leather works great :) nothing wrong all comes down to cost !
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment.
You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable.
A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html
And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html
New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html
More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html
Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html
For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html
Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally.
In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse?
We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
The problem with not using real leather is that we eat cows and other animals, so the skin is already there, we don't need to make another product if we have it. Sure, that is if it is enough of it, I haven't seen statistics about this. The other concern is with plastics and other human-made substances that are in contact with our body, like Teflon and the older (I hope) fire-proof substances that can have direct effects to our health. We are just starting to see that microplastics and teflon-like substances are in our blood, without knowing exactly the effects.
Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. I also bought cars with animal skin leather seats before I did my research and got to know the industry. The most important thing is: With today's modern materials, you have nothing to lose, just to gain. You achieve the same kind of luxury and comfort or even better while having the same or better durability with less impact on humans, animals and the environment.
You can use fabric/cloth, microfibre or leatherette. The classic approach is using oil/plastic as source material. Overall, a vehicle contains about 300 kg plastic. A car seat needs about 5 kg plastic. So the overall plastic share for the seats is very low and it is at this moment the most efficient way to produce a car seat. A couple of litres of fuel equals a car seat basically. So if you want to save oil/plastic, rather look at consumption for energy, fuel and heating and to other car parts than the seat. Note that animal skin leather also always contains a plastic coating for durability. However, long-term we should of course find raw oil alternatives. So going further, seats can be made from recyclables (e.g. from PET-bottles or old fishing nets) or even increased share of plant-based materials (like pine oil, canola oil or start-up materials like Pinatex from pineapple leaves or Desertex from cactus fibre or the mixed-plant-based Mirum, so be seen at th-cam.com/video/S1aNZeoatmE/w-d-xo.html). On a calculation base, by ditching animal skin leather from car interiors, the amount of emissions (CO2e) is reduced by 85 (!) % (www.press.bmwgroup.com/africa-dom-easteurope/article/detail/T0403389EN/on-the-market-from-2023:-bmw-and-mini-models-with-vegan-interiors?language=en) - and that is a very conservative calculation. So it is at this moment the most important thing you can do to make car interiors more sustainable.
A good example for high-end luxury with ventilated animal free seats is the BMW X7 with Sensafin: th-cam.com/video/1pRNkW9nrrw/w-d-xo.html
And the Kia EV9 with plant-based oil share: th-cam.com/video/6vXePQi_MAk/w-d-xo.html
New leatherette materials can be superior in every aspect, even for cleaning: th-cam.com/video/u94YXJ72UTA/w-d-xo.html
More and more natural materials are rising: th-cam.com/video/nRSsXEnwHDo/w-d-xo.html
Also check out what the animal skin leather industry tried to with our channel: th-cam.com/video/nP_CvLlaFlI/w-d-xo.html
For seeing how the animals are being treated and transported in the global leather industry, watch this footage: th-cam.com/video/tkjCAmq1_8E/w-d-xo.html
Note that the footage is genuine and was recorded by a highly decorated investigative journalist in Germany I know myself personally.
In a high animal skin grade, the animals are specifically raised for this matter. However even if meat is the "first" misuse case, the hide remains a profitable body part. That means: If manufacturers put animal leather in a car and you demand it as a customer, you give your money to an industry that earns money by oppressing humans, animals and harms the environment, you make them more profitable. Alternatively, you could support industries with your wallet which try to improve the sustainability of materials. Also, if you turn the argument around to "meat is the waste of the leather industry" you realize that it doesn't make sense (and is ethically doubtful) to discuss the primary use of individual body parts of mammals. Mind experiment: You are getting slain down on the street; would it matter to you if it was for your smartphone or for your purse?
We cannot change what we have bought in the past, but with more information and compassion we can change how we decide in the future.
@@autogefuehl But the surface area of car seats and roof liner is much greater and in closer contact than the other plastic parts that are hidden beneath panels, the microfiber suede texture is constantly shedding off tiny particulates of plastic, way more than a woven fabric. The chemicals used in tanning leather do not shed and are not dangerous after treatment, unless you try to eat it maybe. I personally hold my health at the top of my priority list, in my opinion the best solution is to get rid of natural leather and plastic fibers and use plant based materials like you mentioned. (also recycled plastic is a lot more toxic than than fresh plastic so that is not an alternative in the long run)
Excellent. A good balanced account.
Nice video. You skated over the interesting parts, like more detail of the needle punch line.
Believe me we did everything as detailed as possible. What we didnt show was disclosed due to company secrecy
@@autogefuehlthanks. Asked because I worked in a technical role in the needle punch business before retiring.
I had no idea it’s plastic, I still really like it
fantastičan proces
i'm much more interested to watch a video about that sick car now haha
❤ I love that warm feeling....but not soo much the stains that sometimes my seats have.😢
Very informative video with very solid argumentation against using animal skin. Recently shopping for a Porsche, I was surprised and disappointed that animal skin seats were the only choice on the "S" trim 718. Alcantara or even fabric would have been superior in my opinion.
Cheers m8! Yeah I agree
I wonder whether these plastics will be like what lead used to be for so many years. It will be an interesting retrospective at some point in the future for sure.