'Not manufactured - it was grown!' How and why the 2025 Kia EV3 and EV4 electric car interiors could literally be wild

The Kia EV3, or at least the concept version of the incoming electric small car, has interiors made of mushrooms, hemp, corn, and sugarcane.

These grown materials are part of what the brand calls its "10 must-have sustainable items" in its cabin construction, which also includes sawdust, 'bio-polyurethane' leather, floor carpet made from 100 per cent recycled PET bottles, and the option of materials made from recycled fishing nets.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the material choices is mycelium - the root material from which mushrooms sprout - which Kia has used because it can be "grown in any shape you want using a mould."

Unlike some of the aforementioned materials which are already used in cars like the EV9, EV6, Niro, and not-sold-in-Australia Soul EV, the mycelium interior pieces are yet to make it to production. A goal the brand sees as a priority, to make its cars feel "closer to nature".

Kia says the choice of natural fibres used in the EV3 concept's seats also help to reduce weight and add a natural tone to the interior.

The EV4 meanwhile, utilises hand woven 3D-effect fabric for its boot area and seat covers, and utilises hemp in the construction of its centre console table. Like the mycelium mouldings used in the EV3, Kia says hemp is "not only highly sustainable, but it's highly moldable, too" and it "enhances the EV concept's cabin with its beautiful rich colour."

Since the launch of the EV9, Kia has committed to moving away from using real leather in its vehicles altogether.

Other innovative materials used in the EV4 include natural dyeing with madder root and walnut shells providing what the brand calls "unique tonalities."

Since the launch of the EV9, Kia has committed to moving away from using real leather in its vehicles altogether, substituting it for "natural" polyurethanes, and has also phased out the use of particularly harmful materials like PVC in the construction of parts for its cars.

Speaking to journalists on the topic at the reveal of the EV5, Kia's Vice President of Interior Design, Jochen Paesen, explained some of the challenges bringing these materials to production.

"It is relatively easy to bring them into production and have them last for five years, but cars last longer than that - so we have to make sure we can develop something that has longevity. These materials are used in the fashion industry already, but the lifecycle is much shorter - that's the difficult part." he said.

"Everyone in the industry is trying to find a solution [and] we're working with our suppliers and startups to accelerate it."

Kia is undergoing a massive overhaul of its range of vehicles and production processes as it moves to a more electrified era.

Speaking on the topic of the increased use of fabric material in Kia interiors, particularly on the concept versions of the EV3 and EV4 which preview the future direction of Kia's interior material choices, Paesen explained this was part of fashion changing in the industry at the same time as sustainable materials becoming more important.

"From EV9 onwards we've stopped using real leather altogether. Leather itself is not a bad product, but it's the volume, in the car industry we use a lot of it. We're working hard to reduce the amount of plastic we're using in [synthetic leathers] - we don't use [the particularly environmentally harmful] PVC anymore." he explained.

On the topic of the incoming set of innovative materials, like mycelium and the 3D cloth weave used in the concept's seats, and it replacing materials like real leather, Paesen said; "From a quality point of view we can get to a level which is extremely high, but a lot of it is to do with customer perception.

"Probably, most homes don't have leather couches now, but 10 years ago they did, so that perception can change, fashion can change."

Perhaps the most intriguing of the material choices is mycelium - the root material from which mushrooms sprout.

"All of our new materials are tested to the same processes [as the old ones]. Hopefully if we look six or seven years down the line, we would see them ageing the same, if not better."

Kia is undergoing a massive overhaul of its range of vehicles and production processes as it moves to a more electrified era. Not only will it launch a renewed range of more affordable electric options, ranging from the global EV5 mid-size SUV to the yet-to-be-revealed EV2 primarily for the European market, but it is also re-assessing where it sources materials and batteries from in a move to bring costs down and be more sustainable in the process.

The EV5 will launch in Australia some time in 2024, while the production version of the EV3 small SUV will break cover the same year, followed by the EV4 crossover sedan and EV2 in 2025.