Hands-On With Vescin – MINI’s New Vegan Friendly Interior That Replaces Leather BMW and MINI are so confident in products like Vescin (BMW’s version [is] called Sensafin – an improved version of Sensatec) they they’re already being used in several cars with MSRPs well over $100,000. Sounds like it's not as good as the Lounge Leather (which my SE has), but much better than most leatherettes. I got to thinking about this because Apple has now stopped making leather products but their new material ("FineWoven") is not getting good reviews. Good to see the MINI material seems to be exceptional quality.
It's interesting to hear about MINI's vegan replacement for leather. It's all about finding that balance between sustainability and quality, right? It's a bummer to hear that Apple's FineWoven material isn't living up to the hype.
When choosing materials, it's not just about being eco-friendly but also ensuring that they meet the high standards we've come to expect. It's great to see MINI taking a step in the right direction with a material that seems to be of exceptional quality.
BMW/MINI uses MIRUM® (non-plastic bio based) and Dessertex® cactus leather to bring down the CO2 emissions for Scope 3 emissions. Animal skin leather takes about 27.3kg CO2 per m2 leather and desserto is about 1.39kg CO2 per m2 (compared to polyurethane at 4.81kg CO2 per m2 leather). I have cloth seats for my Iconic Electric Collection SE and it's perfectly fine.
I was going to invest in a nauga farm. Then I thought about raising alcantaras for their softer feel. Now that naugahydes and alcantara hydes are not in demand, where do I invest in vegan hydes? Are they raised on a plantation?
Vegan hides come from fruit roll-up factories utilizing extra resins. While you can also use chitin (fungi) or cactus, a better way to support oil & gas is to use "vegan" polyurethane leather that major EV-only brands utilize.
I stumbled upon this blog on leather alternatives at vonbaer.com. It dives deeper into the world of materials and might offer some valuable insights for those interested in sustainable choices. So, kudos to MINI for their innovative approach, and here's to hoping more companies follow suit in prioritizing both the environment and the quality of their products.
