There are people designing a radiant system to be installed on the finish of the leather interiors to heat the passenger compartment more effectively than in current models that feature the resistor under the leather, which is a natural insulator. There are also people working on the positioning of sensors on the steering wheel leather to detect the parameters of the driver, so as to monitor their health and evaluate reactivity in case of emergency. These are just two of the innovations in the pipeline in the automotive industry, which is looking to the future and preparing to intercept the new public taking an interest in the car industry with smart solutions. This is what the protagonists of the four-wheel supply chain had to say, as they gathered around the same table for the “Automotive Supply Chain Conference” organised in Paris on Monday 17 by International Leather Maker. Vehicle manufacturers and suppliers are laying the foundations for the cars of tomorrow, as comfortable as lounges and increasingly connected to the world thanks to digital. The keywords are sustainability and technology, for a type of clientele that does not only expect high-level performance from a vehicle, but also a more comprehensive wellbeing experience. An upcoming revolution, because the new smart public is now dictating the trends that will mature in a few years’ time. A revolution in which even leather, always central in a market expected to expand thanks to China, is called upon to play its role.
Sustainable, technological, smart: from Paris, notes on leather for the car interiors of the future
