Oh my! The vH team were at the IAA Mobility Show in downtown Munich last week celebrating the launch of the CUPRA Dark Rebel, and its interior made from our Banbū. The whole city had turned out for it: we saw toddlers and grandparents, Natalie Portman and industry folk, all sharing the future of automotives. How did we feel after? Excited about big possibilities - and playing our own small part in that. Here are some key takeaways - including the pretzel we ate that was shaped like a car logo.
Yes, sustainability is a very big deal in automotives right now. Every brand was out to show its credentials, and we didn’t see a car launch that wasn’t electric. The question everybody was asking: how do we do this bigger - and faster?
…and innovation energy is everywhere. The place was buzzing. Now it’s all about turning dreams into reality. For example, how do you match bio content with performance and get the result ready to scale? (Oh hi Banbū! We know you have all 3 covered).
If you host a mobility show, make it immersive. Let visitors tap windows and feel seats! Create light shows, augmented reality, and car exteriors that change colors. And of course provide oculus goggles to see the CUPRA car in V.R.
Europe is leading the way. This is, in part, thanks to their legal carbon impact goals. For materials, it means re-focusing from animal and grains to futuristic fabrics.
Everybody’s trying to figure out circularity. How do you make a car recyclable at the end of its lifetime? Biodegradable materials like ours are key but how about the seat itself? The steering wheel? It’s time for a whole car rethink.
Goodbye leather “look”. Customers are ready to take credit for their sustainable choices, so if it isn’t leather, maybe we don’t need to pretend it is…
These times call for a giant leap. The CUPRA car was the most talked about launch of the show. Why? It isn’t just a version of what’s already on the street but something totally new.
A pretzel shaped like CUPRA’s logo is possible. We tried it - and it was tasty.
