Hyundai CRADLE, the innovation arm of Hyundai Motor Group, has announced a partnership with biotech company UNCAGED Innovations to develop animal-free leather alternatives for car interiors. Their high-performance bioleather, named "ELEVATE," has been designed to have a smaller environmental impact than traditional hide-based options, while still maintaining the texture, durability, and luxurious quality associated with leather products. The production of this leather alternative emits 95 percent fewer greenhouse gases, requires 90 percent less water, and uses 71 percent less energy than traditional leather.

UNCAGED's unique BioFuze technology, combined with biomaterial manufacturing, allows for the creation of sustainable and customizable materials that successfully mimic the performance of leather. By fusing grain proteins with plant-based elements, UNCAGED is able to replicate the scaffolding functions of collagen, the main protein in animal hides. Hyundai, along with other car manufacturers, are increasingly turning to plant-based and animal-free alternatives to reduce the automotive industry's environmental impact and cater to the demand for sustainable materials among consumers.