Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) and Hyundai America Technical Center (HATCI) showcase their environmental commitment by featuring Lingrove’s innovative, high-performance, plant-based ekoa in the Palisade concept vehicle as a luxury and interactive finish. 

The ekoa-enabled, color-changing, backlit door spear was showcased at the 2022 Hyundai Open Innovation Lounge (Seoul, Korea), an exhibition of innovative start-ups aimed at improving existing and future consumer and commercial vehicles, reported CompositesWorld.

Delivering a higher strength-to-weight ratio than steel, ekoa® is developed from renewable flax fibers to replace wood, laminates, and plastics with a carbon-neutral, ultra-sustainable material, claims the California-based company Lingrove.

ekoa® is already being used to replace rainforest trees and carbon composites in musical instruments and wood paneling in homes and offices, and is now in advanced automotive testing, as Lingrove extends ekoa® into car interiors. ekoa® is also available in a format with hidden transparency enabling backlighting effects and/or options for capacitive touch.

“The demand for reinventing mobility with sustainable ekoa® interiors is incredibly strong,” says Joe Luttwak, CEO of Lingrove. “After years of R&D and investment, our high-performance, beautiful ekoa® is ready to meet our customers’ commitments to decarbonizing their vehicles - while transitioning their interiors to feel like living room spaces.”

Customers want to have the best of both worlds:  Interiors that have a minimal impact on the environment without compromising luxury. That is what Hyundai promises to deliver by working with innovators like Lingrove.