Automotive
Interior solutions for future mobility
Design and function of the interior will be impacted by a multitude of upcoming trends. E-mobility, automated driving and sustainability will play a significant role.
E-mobility
From an interior perspective, e-mobility will have limited impact on the visible interior design but a significant "hidden" implication. For example, heat management solutions may directly impact battery range. Passive solutions will help to thermally insulate the car interior to help control cabin temperature and save energy that can then be used to extend the battery range. With Elastopor® H, Slentite® and Slentex® BASF is offering a broad portfolio of insulation materials. Passive solutions are complemented by active heat management solutions, like heatable surfaces to provide comfortable temperature levels.
Automated driving will transform the driving experience into an interior experience. Brand specific languages of design will be more in the focus than today. The elimination of a dedicated cockpit area will transform the entire interior architecture. The arrangement and functional assignment of seats and other interior components will change to allow new use cases such as entertainment, realaxing and work.
Sustainability
Bio-based raw materials like castor oil are already used in state-of-the-art PU systems such as Elastoflex® E 3496/102 for instrument panel manufacturing. Recycling concepts for polyurethane materials and use of the resulting polyols are currently being addressed in R&D projects. Certificate-based approaches constitute another big lever towards sustainable solutions. BASF's mass balance approach relying on renewable cracker feedstocks is already implemented, while a corporate project is currently evaluating the potential of ChemCycling.
