Growing Alcantara Demand Is Outstripping Supply
Nothing says sporty quite like Alcantara. It seems any fast car worth its salt these days simply must have the material at the very least on the options menu somewhere, but increasing demand from the motoring industry and elsewhere means the company that makes the stuff - Alcantara S.p.A - can’t keep up.
Motor Trend reports that the Italian firm is aiming to double production output over the next five years to accommodate growing hunger for the material, which is made from polyurethane and polyester. Chairman and CEO Andrea Boragno said that Alcantara is currently able to produce eight million metres of the stuff a year, which isn’t enough.
Borango noted that 20 per cent of new business has to be turned down. In 2015 Alcantara demand surged by over a third, while the company’s sales have tripled from 2009 to 2017.
The main bulk of Alcantara’s business is still automotive, which makes up 80 per cent of sales. Europe is the biggest market for the material, taking a 60 per cent share of orders. It seems we’re suckers for those grippy, suede-like steering wheels on this continent…
Source: Motor Trend
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Today I learned that Alcantara is a brand
Me too…one can amass ever so much knowledge in the world…
^ Same
Damn I always thought it was just a material and not a brand
It’s taught me much about self discipline… leave it too long without cleaning and it’s nearly impossible to put right, clean too much and one could damage the material…. balance and such.
Gah what a GREAT material though!
I had an alcantara steering wheel… didn’t like how much of a pain it was lol. It always looked dirty. I prefer leather
It’s horrible. I rather have good old fabric.
Our Audi has alcantara seat centres. They’re honestly great. They don’t heat up under the sun or get cold like the leather outer parts of the seat, and they’re much more comfortable
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Not to mention you are upcharged for an incredibly cheap material.
I think it looks good if you have alcantara roof lining or, in some cars, top of the dash (also less reflective than any other material). Those won’t get dirty for a long time or give you any electric shocks unless you touch it
But I agree I wouldn’t pay for any surfaces that you touch (steering wheel, seats, doors, arm rests etc) in this material
Matt Robinson TYPO ALERT. Give instead of five?
I hope you’re ironic or I’m handing you an Internet death penalty.
“insted”
*INSTEAD
It’s pretty good that you get so much business that people think your brand is a normal material like cloth
Psst Matt you spelled “five” wrong
Spelt
this post broke car throttle
Until this very day, I thought Alcantara was a material. You learn something new everyday
Probably Aston martin
obligitory alcantara is a brand?