In Germany, the new electronic concept car from Mercedes is jam-packed with biobased materials, including seat cushions made from mushrooms and a leather alternative made from cactus. Dubbed EQXX, other renewable elements include bamboo fiber carpets.
The luxury car brand also says the EQXX can do 620 miles on a charge—much farther than any other electric car on the market in the US—largely due to light weighting and improvements to aerodynamics.
While the EQXX won’t be put into production as is, many of its features will end up in Mercedes cars by 2024, Markus Schäfer, chief technology officer of Mercedes’ parent company Daimler, tells CNN.
Mercedes has said that it wants half of its sales to be electric cars by 2025, reaching nearly 100% electric by 2030.