According to a consumer survey conducted by IHS Markit that was conducted actors five major markets. Of the 800 consumers interviewed 54% said they’re “very interested” or “interested” in having an anti-microbial coating in their next personal vehicle. While it is not economical to coat entire interior surfaces of a vehicle, IHS Markit expects OEMs and suppliers to deploy cost-effective countermeasures on critical surfaces.
Additionally, IHS Markit found that 25% of consumers said that they will not use ridesharing after the COVID-19 pandemic and 80% of consumers expect their rideshare vehicles to have some sort of disinfecting supplies going forward. Nearly half (48%) of respondents said that they will still use ridesharing going forward, but will reduce the frequency in which they were accustomed to before the pandemic.
Consumer are willing to pay more than $100 to have an anti-microbial coating,” said Kyle Davis, senior automotive analyst, UI/UX at IHS Markit.
High-touch surfaces inside a personal vehicle includes door handles, steering wheels, gear shifter, seats, touchscreen displays and consoles. Many surfaces here are using leather in mid to premium vehicles.
According to One 4 Leather, Collagen, from which leather is made, provides an ideal environment for microbial growth and antimicrobial agents are, therefore, used throughout the leather-making processes. This results in dirt and bacteria repelling properties embedded in the leather protein structure. Anti-microbial agents are applied only to the surface of plastic alternatives and these can easily abrade away during the products lifetime use – leather, therefore, has a more durable benefit to offer. Although we want safety, part of this rests on having fewer chemicals used in the production of leather for car interiors.
Leather is a good option there, as other technologies are popping up (UV Lights, heating up the interior,). Copper and its alloys are also a good choice because of natural anti-microbial properties. Recent studies have indicated that COVID-19 was not present on a copper surface four hours after exposure. However, cooper drawback is cost, and trend is to get even more expensive.
One 4 Leather is a group of manufacturers and suppliers, active in the automotive leather supply chain to promote usage of leather in automotive interiors. They aim to offer the general public and industry the facts and insights about leather.
