New materials in focus
Could persimmon fruit create a viable leather alternative?
An unlikely contender in the vegan leather space has emerged. Car Design News explores how persimmons are being turned into automotive-grade surfaces
Spanish start-up Persiskin has found a way to reuse waste material from persimmon fruits for a vegan leather alternative.
Persimmons are small orange fruits grown in many countries, highly prevalent in southeast Asia but also an abundant produce of Spain. High in fibre and natural sugars, it starts firm and gradually softens as it ripens. Many eventually fall from the tree and are not eaten, or are lost and discarded during harvest. In any event, there is a huge amount of waste material: in Spain alone, around 500 million kilograms are harvested each year, and nearly half of that goes to waste.
But why have these curious fruits found their way into the realms of vegan leather, and how do their properties align with the needs of something that will clad much of a car interior? “Persimmon is rich in natural compounds, such as tannins, that have historically been used in coatings,” Jaime Sanfelix, CEO and founder of Persiskin, told Car Design News. “What we developed is not a traditional use, but an engineered process that converts this organic matter into a stable, functional material compatible with industrial applications.”
To be clear, Persiskin is not a form of surface treatment for existing materials and is its own product that is combined with a textile backing just like other leather alternatives. The difference is the high proportion of biomaterial in its makeup. The finished ‘sheet’ (that comes in a roll as usual) can then be coloured or embossed in a myriad of ways. In this sense, the term ‘skin’ feels quite fitting as the persimmon material is indeed used as an external layer.
Through working with Spanish Tier 1 Grupo Antolin, the start-up has been able to prove its solution – Persiskin Auto – in a realistic automotive environment where durability and safety are key hurdles to any new material launching en masse. Curiously, Persiskin describes the process as using ‘surplus’ fruit, rather than ‘waste’ specifically.
“We use non-commercial and surplus persimmons, which represent a structural issue in regions like Valencia,” Sanfelix explains. “A significant portion of the harvest is not suitable for sale due to aesthetic or ripeness criteria. This is not waste in the traditional sense, but unused agricultural biomass with no viable market. Persiskin transforms this surplus into a high-value industrial material.”
The next stage is to scale production to suit the ever-consumptive needs of the automotive industry. “The main hurdle is not proving the concept – that part is already achieved but industrial integration at scale within the automotive ecosystem,” Sanfelix told Car Design News. “The challenge lies in embedding the material into existing Tier 1 production processes, ensuring repeatability and consistency at industrial volumes, aligning with cost structures and supply chain requirements of OEMs.”
As it stands, the company is not aware of any direct competitors using persimmon as a raw material at industrial scale, and particularly within automotive. It does however sit in a broader category for bio-based leather alternatives. Elsewhere, we have seen how avocado and agave waste can be repurposed for leather treatments, with the waste material broken down into a biopolymer.
In any case, it is promising to see genuine exploration into new materials, scouting solutions that may feel unlikely but – with the help of established industry partners – seem to be showing promise. One thing is for sure: vegan leather derived from fruit must smell a little better than the ‘gluey’ petrochemical ones we often experience today.
