Consumers' focus on sustainability and climate change in everyday life is causing a change in their car buying habits, according to Sonja Verdenberk, chief designer of colour and materials at Ford of Europe. The company has been working with the German government for years now to reduce its carbon footprint, but it was only recently that they started looking into how people could be more environmentally conscious when purchasing cars. These factors are altering current automobile design, Verdenberk said, with an increasing range of interior fabric options and the implementation of 3D printing to cut out waste production processes.
Consumers' focus on sustainability and climate change in everyday life is causing a change in their car buying habits, according to Sonja Verdenberk, chief designer of colour and materials at Ford of Europe. As individuals have become more ecologically aware, they are favouring the use of materials from sustainable sources in cars, while the idea of vegan fabrics has a strong pull from many consumers, instead of historically popular leather. These factors are altering current automobile design, Verdenberk said, with an increasing range of interior fabric options and the implementation of 3D printing to cut out waste production processes.