Audi e-tron GT Headlines Design Shanghai to Showcase Sustainable Materials

For 2021, Audi will once again be represented at Design Shanghai and the theme of the show will be regenerative design, focusing on sustainable materials. Audi also gained a partner for the event, in Stella McCartney, British fashion designer and daughter of Sir Paul McCartney.

“The theme of this year’s design fair – Regenerative design comes to China – and the world – is an excellent fit for Audi“, explains Henrik Wenders, head of Audi Brand. “Audi is known for its outstanding design and is passionately committed to sustainability. With the Audi e-tron GT quattro we are presenting this combination at its very best. We are delighted to be at Design Shanghai this year in cooperation with Stella McCartney, providing an insight in a walk-in installation of how both the fashion and the automotive business think and live in a sustainable way.”

The Audi e-tron GT uses recycled materials throughout its cabin. For instance, the seat covers are made from a combination of artificial leather with either a textile material called Kaskade, or a micro-fiber material called Dinamica. Both of which are made from recycled materials, such as PET bottles, textiles, and scraps of fibers.

McCartney will also have a hand bag on display, the Falabella Go, made from Econyl, a recycled material consisting of recycled fishing nets.

Wu Yunzhou, coordinator for Interior Design at Audi China and Zhao Yu (Scott), head of Innovation Research at Audi China, will also be on hand to discuss sustainability as a global trend.

Recycled materials are the future of automotive interiors. Not only are more and more customers distancing themselves from animal skin interiors but many new customers are appreciating the sustainability of using recycled interior bits. We all know the environment needs to be cleaned up and we, as a species, need to be more conscious of how our actions impact our planet. This is especially true in electric cars, which require the use of rare-earth materials to develop their battery packs. To offset that use of rare-earth materials, using sustainable products inside the cabin makes a difference.