A New Zealand company called Materially Kiwi says it’s in discussions with BMW and Volkswagen about using a plant-based material made from discarded kiwifruit in future vehicle interiors.
The company, founded by Shelley Houston, has developed a flexible material from kiwifruit that was rejected by the export industry because it was bruised, damaged or otherwise unsuitable for sale. What would normally become waste is instead transformed into a material that can be used in products ranging from handbags to apparel and, potentially, automotive interiors.
According to Houston, interest in the material has grown quickly.
“We now have 80 brands, both nationally and internationally, who want to work with us,” Houston said during an interview with New Zealand television program Seven Sharp.
“It’s amazing to see where this could go.”
While conversations with luxury brands and automakers are still ongoing, the interest from companies such as BMW and Volkswagen highlights the growing search for alternatives to traditional leather and synthetic materials in vehicle cabins.
The material itself has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Houston didn’t come from a textile or materials science background. She began experimenting at home, documenting every success and failure as she tried to develop a workable product.
“Everything is in my book. Every time I’ve had different tests on what’s worked and what hasn’t,” she said.
It reportedly took between 15 and 20 attempts to produce an acceptable sample, along with the sacrifice of at least two kitchen blenders.
As development progressed, Houston partnered with researchers at the New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science to help scale production beyond what could be accomplished in a home kitchen. The material is created by processing kiwifruit’s naturally occurring cellulose and polysaccharides into a usable biomaterial.
Dr. Angelique Greene, who worked on the project, said those compounds can be engineered to provide both strength and flexibility.
One challenge proved particularly difficult. Biomaterials naturally attract and absorb water, which is obviously a problem for any product expected to survive real-world use. Many manufacturers solve that issue by adding plastic-based ingredients, but Houston wanted to avoid that route.
After multiple rounds of testing and refinement, the team says it developed a solution that improved durability while remaining free of synthetic plastic additives.
Today, the material is available in a variety of colors and can be embossed with patterns that resemble crocodile or snakeskin. It is also thinner and more flexible than the company’s earliest prototypes.
Interestingly, the company itself has undergone a transformation as well. What began as KiwiLeather Innovations now operates under the Materially Kiwi brand. Houston said the change became necessary after some people mistakenly assumed the original name meant the company was making leather from New Zealand’s famous kiwi bird.
BMW and Volkswagen certainly weren’t put off, as they’re reportedly very interested in the new plant-based textile.
The big question is whether materials like this can eventually meet the demanding performance standards required inside modern vehicles. To get that answer, we’ll just have to wait and see.
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