CMF

Innovation in CMF – new materials, challenges and changes

By 2025-03-10T13:33:00

Neoluxe Onyx in Ember

Carmakers and suppliers handpick a variety of new materials that could be used for interior design, discussing both the benefits and challenges of adoption

From cork to cactus, designers are constantly trialling new materials for use inside vehicle cabins. Car Design News decided to find out which materials are currently showing the greatest signs of promise, and what challenges they may be posing as designers consider them for production models. And if the uptake of these new materials changes the way designers are working, might they also potentially have a far wider impact on the operation of the entire automotive industry?

Which new materials are showing promise in automotive design?

“A big chunk of new material innovation study is now related to sustainability,” Kyeong-Hee Shim, head of CMF at Tata Motors, tells CDN. “This could be using recycled materials, waste materials, or making sure the material is renewable at source. There are a few great initiatives for both soft and hard materials, and some of them have already been used in production vehicles.”

A prime example is…

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