German automobile company Volkswagen will launch an electric SUV with a 100-percent vegan leather interior made from apples. The full-size, zero-emission ID Roomzz—which is set to become available in 2021—was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show this week. The apple leather, called AppleSkin, is partly made from apple-juice waste such as cores and skin from the fruit and is described by Volkswagen as a renewable raw material. “Apple Peel Skin is an innovative and highly sustainable hybrid material (vegan leather) made in Italy, which integrates organic apple peels into the skin of the material, making it an eco-friendly alternative for those who care about the environment and animals,” AppleSkin creator Apple Nine Alliance describes on its website. Volkswagen is not the first car company to switch to innovative plant-based interiors. Competing company Volvo plans to debut its Polestar 2 electric vehicle with a vegan interior in 2020. Similarly, Audi has developed an e-tron GT sports car in partnership with Porsche, featuring a vegan interior made with mostly recycled fibers and floor carpets crafted from repurposed fishing nets.

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