Mercedes-Benz expands the vegan (interior) menu.

Mercedes' EQXX explores new, sustainable seating options.

- Frank Markus

When I was a kid, my folks bought cars with vinyl or polyester seats because those materials were cheap and easy to clean. Only fancy people sprang for leather, which always smelled amazing. But leather eventually W became ubiquitous (and smelling of chemicals), and the sustainability crowd turned on it recently in favor of cruelty-free "vegan" interiors. But most of today's vegan leather consists of a synthetic fabric with a polyurethane or PVC coating. Sounds like vinyl to me not to mention somewhat less Earth-friendly than it's made out to be. The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept (see page 70 for more) explores several new, more sustainable "menu" options for going vegan.

Mushroom-Based Mylo "Unleather" Mushrooms you see on a forest floor are produced by a fungus' mycelium-its fibrous root system that helps break down organic matter to nourish plant life. By feeding mycelial cells a diet of sawdust and organic material in a vertical agriculture facility powered by renewable energy, a foamy, marshmallowy material can be harvested in as little as two weeks. It is then formed into sheets and processed using green chemistry principles. Some plasticizers ensure durability, but Mylo is certified 50-85 percent bio-based. Making its automotive debut in the EQXX, the perforated seat inserts look and feel like leather.