MUNICH, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Alcantara, a leading “Made in Italy” luxury brand and the first Italian company certified as Carbon Neutral, has joined the annual German Car of the Year program as a major sponsor.
Other 2022 German Car of the Year (GCOTY) sponsors include ZF, KST and Bridgestone. The program is affiliated with other leading award programs such as India’s Car and Bike Awards, the China Car Awards and the World Car Awards.
More than 20 leading automotive journalists serve on the GCOTY award jury. Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot and Porsche were among last year’s award winners. The Honda E was the 2021 overall winner.
The 2022 program kicks off on July 5 with a three-day GCOTY Summer Fest event in Alsfeld, Germany, for car makers, journalists and sponsors. Andrea Boragno, Alcantara’s chairman and CEO, will host an exhibit showing applications for the company’s luxury material in the automotive industry, as well as in fashion and accessories, marine and aviation, consumer electronics, interior design and the art world.
Judging and final award ceremonies will take place in the fall at separate events at ZF and KST facilities in Friedrichshafen and Bad Duerkheim, Germany.
“We are delighted to be collaborating with a distinguished panel of automotive experts in Germany,” Boragno said. “The German press and our customers there appreciate the high quality of our material.
“Born in Italy, Alcantara material travels to every corner of the globe. It is a material that is at the same time elegant and soft to the touch with technical qualities such as grip, lightweight and breathability that are especially appreciated in the automotive sector.”
He noted that Alcantara maintains a strong commitment to the environment. Based in Milan, the company has participated in nearly 50 international offset projects designed to improve living conditions and expand the use of renewable energy resources around the world.
Alcantara also continues to emphasize the importance of sustainability with its suppliers, encouraging them to measure, reduce and compensate for CO2 emissions. The company’s most recent Sustainability Report notes that all of its “core” and “super core” suppliers have achieved zero CO2 emission balances.
In addition, the company has sponsored an annual sustainability symposium in partnership with Venice International University to focus attention on problems related to the environment. The program has involved major corporations, international organizations, scientists, economists and policy makers from around the world.
Symposium participants have debated how best to mitigate climate change and build a low-carbon future by engaging different levels of society with involvement from policy makers, corporations and consumers.
“The importance of sustainability in today’s cars cannot be overestimated,” said Jens Meiners, a GCOTY organizer and co-founder. “Sustainability is reflected in our car-of-the-year evaluation criteria and the choices made by our jury over the past few years.
“We are proud to welcome Alcantara on board as our newest GCOTY partner. We share a common vision for cars that will be more sustainable. Interior design, comfort and quality also are of major importance to us all.”
Alcantara has been featured on a variety of new-car introductions at major auto shows over the past five years, including reveals by Alfa Romeo, BMW, Bugatti, Dodge, Maserati, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Nissan, Porsche and Subaru.
SOURCE German Car of the Year
