Cassis Méhari Club x Planet of the Grapes: grape-based biomaterials for electric car upholstery
- Jun 13
- 3 min read
In Cassis, where vineyards meet the sea, Planet of the Grapes explored one of its most locally resonant applications: grape-based biomaterial upholstery for an electric car.
The collaboration with Cassis Méhari Club brought together mobility, material innovation and the Provençal landscape in a way that feels almost circular by instinct. Grape residue from local vineyards became part of a new material story inside Eden, the 100% electric reinterpretation of the iconic Méhari.
Grape-based biomaterials, from vineyard residue to electric mobility
Cassis Méhari Club is based in the south of France, close to Planet of the Grapes and surrounded by the vineyards that inspire the material work. The collaboration began with a simple but powerful idea: could grape-based biomaterials offer a more respectful alternative for car interiors?
Automotive interiors often rely heavily on synthetic materials. For Eden, Planet of the Grapes’ material created an opportunity to bring a more place-based, bio-derived and expressive surface into the vehicle.
This was not only a symbolic project. It was a practical test of how the material could be cut, stitched and fitted into seating within an atelier context.
Inside the Cassis atelier
For Planet of the Grapes, one of the most valuable parts of the collaboration was seeing the material move through the full making process. The team was able to watch it being cut, stitched and applied to the seats of the electric car.
Visibility such as this is hugely important for material development. Upholstery has its own requirements: structure, wear, tension, finish and compatibility with curved or padded forms. By entering the Cassis Méhari Club atelier, the material could be tested in a context beyond fashion accessories or garments.
The result was a new way of seeing Savigne by Planet of the Grapes® biomaterials as a possible surface for mobility.
A circular story for Provence wine tourism
The collaboration was launched during a gourmet evening in Cassis, where Eden was used to drive restaurateurs arriving for the event. The setting gave the project a natural sense of place: food, wine, vineyards, electric mobility and grape-based materials all meeting in one experience.
It also opened up a beautiful future use case, our founder Samantha Mureau reflects.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have wine tours in a car with seats made from grape waste, thus becoming fully circular.”
The material becomes part of the journey, not simply part of the object.
That is where this collaboration becomes especially strong. It connects sustainability to experience, locality and atmosphere rather than abstract messaging. The ultimate emblem of Savoir-faire.
Provençal craft in collaboration
The Cassis Méhari Club project shows that grape-based biomaterials can be considered for upholstery and mobility applications. It also demonstrates how material innovation can be strongest when it remains connected to place.
For Planet of the Grapes, this partnership is a clear expression of local circularity: grape waste, Provençal craft, electric mobility and design coming together in a single object.
It is a collaboration that feels rooted in the south of France, but its implications reach much further. As automotive interiors and mobility sectors look for more considered material options, projects like this help show how bio-based surfaces can become part of the future interior landscape.
Moving biomaterials forward
Interested in exploring grape-derived biomaterials for applications in fashion, accessories, interiors, mobility or luxury packaging?
Discover the Planet of the Grapes Material Library or get in touch to discuss sampling, applications and collaborations.
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