Seating supplier Adient has developed removable seat covers to, it said, "maintain comfort and individualisation for drivers and passengers in the car-sharing market".
"With more people joining ride sharing organisations for the reliability, convenience and cost, keeping vehicles clean enhances the experience," SAID Nick Petouhoff, executive director of engineering. "We have designed the removable seat covers to do just that."
With an integrated zipper, the covers are easy to remove and clean. Covers are washable in 86 degrees F and removing the seat cover will not damage the foam in the structure. The foam is protected by a lining underneath the removable covers, eliminating the need to be restored or replaced.
For additional protection, Adient's FreshPer4mance coating can be added to textile seat covers. This makes textiles liquid repellent, stain resistant, antistatic and antimicrobial.
Dirt and grime can be removed with one easy wipe, without leaving marks on the fabric. As more people use rental cars, participate in car sharing and carpooling, removable seat covers will increase the cleanliness of vehicles.
Besides keeping seats free of dirt and stains, the covers add a level of customisation to a vehicle. Through Adient's proprietary, in-house digital ink-jet printing capabilities automakers can test a variety of designs and colours for small series, limited editions and mass products.
Customisation features are also available to vehicle owners. Often, upgrading or repairing the interior of a vehicle can be expensive, but giving an interior a facelift with seat covers is an affordable alternative.