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New fabrics which function as covering material as well as suspension have been developed. These fabrics eliminate the need of underlying foam and suspension springs. They can look like mesh, flat or pile fabrics. The moduli of the fabric have to be controlled to yield the proper suspending and damping characteristics. Effects of environments including UV, ozone and heat exposures were evaluated. Different versions of seats have been built to demonstrate the applications of the new fabric. Advantages of using the fabric are outlined.

The current specified durability testing for automotive seat cover materials focus on fiber loss. Consequently, these tests do not consider the appearance acceptability or “newness retention” of seat covers. Preliminary study indicates that the major causes of perceived wear are soiling and pile crush. Additionally, the study linked the field performance of textile seat covers to fiber, yarn, and fabric characteristics. The results showed the effect of fiber denier, yarn construction, pile density and pile angle on the ability of fabrics to retain their newness and visual appeal.