Short answer: Yes, with a caveat. The cactus leather in Coneli's Fanny Pack, Tote, and Belt is Desserto®, made by Adriano Di Marti in Zacatecas, Mexico. The same company's automotive-grade version, Deserttex®, was piloted by BMW in 2021 and used inside the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept car in 2022. Both were real industry partnerships — but neither carmaker has confirmed a cactus-leather interior in a model you can actually buy today. Coneli's bags, on the other hand, are.
Last updated: September 17, 2026.
Does BMW or Mercedes-Benz Really Use Cactus Leather?
Yes, in pilot and concept form. Both automakers have worked with Desserto® and its sister material Deserttex® — the same cactus-based leather alternative used in Coneli's own bags and belts.
Desserto® and Deserttex® are made by the same company, Adriano Di Marti, based in Zacatecas, Mexico. Desserto® is the fashion-grade version (used in bags, shoes, and apparel); Deserttex® is the automotive- and furniture-grade version, engineered for the tougher durability and abrasion standards interior trim has to meet.
BMW's Cactus Leather Partnership (2021)
On September 14, 2021, Desserto announced a collaboration with BMW Group through the BMW Startup Garage — the automaker's program for piloting new technologies and materials from startups. The partnership centered on Deserttex®, the cactus-based material engineered for automotive interiors, and was unveiled at the IAA Mobility expo in Munich.
Desserto described the goal as contributing to "sustainability in the automotive industry," and separately published its own comparative figures for the material versus conventional animal leather: a reduction in Cumulative Energy Demand of almost 900%, in carbon greenhouse gas emissions of almost 2,000%, and in water use of up to 150,000%. These are Desserto's own published figures, not independently audited — worth knowing if you see them cited elsewhere.
What isn't confirmed: whether Deserttex® ever made it into a BMW model sold to customers. A Startup Garage collaboration is a pilot and evaluation relationship, not a guarantee of production use, and no source found for this article documents cactus leather shipping in a retail BMW.
Mercedes-Benz's Vision EQXX Concept Car (2022)
Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Vision EQXX concept car at CES in Las Vegas on January 7, 2022. Its interior combined several plant- and bio-based materials in place of animal leather: Deserttex® cactus-based material (made from nopal cactus) on the seats, center console, and steering wheel; Mylo™, a mycelium (mushroom-root) leather from Bolt Threads, also on the seats; bamboo fiber carpets; and door pulls made from Biosteel®, a bio-based vegan silk from AMSilk.
Mercedes-Benz stated that replacing leather with this combination of materials cut the vehicle's carbon footprint by 50%.
Vision EQXX was a technology showcase, not a production model — Mercedes-Benz used it to demonstrate efficiency and materials innovations that could influence future vehicles, not to launch a car you could order. As of this article, there's no confirmed Mercedes-Benz production model sold with a cactus-leather interior.
The Same Material, Two Very Different Products
| Application | Material | Announced | Can You Buy It Today? |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW interior trim (pilot) | Deserttex® (Adriano Di Marti) | September 2021 | Not confirmed — pilot program, no known retail rollout |
| Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX interior | Deserttex® + Mylo™ + Biosteel® | January 2022 (concept) | No — concept/technology car, not sold to consumers |
| Coneli Fanny Pack, Tote & Belt | Desserto® (same company, fashion grade) | Ongoing production | Yes — in stock now |
Why This Matters (and What It Doesn't Mean)
To be clear: Coneli has no partnership, affiliation, or relationship with BMW or Mercedes-Benz. This isn't a co-branding story — it's a materials one. What it does mean is that the raw cactus leather Coneli builds its bags and belts from comes from a supplier whose automotive-grade version has independently cleared evaluation by two of the world's largest car manufacturers, industries with far stricter abrasion, UV-stability, and durability testing standards than fashion typically applies.
That's a useful data point if you've wondered whether a plant-based leather alternative can hold up to serious wear — it's the same underlying question BMW and Mercedes were testing for, just applied to a bag instead of a driver's seat.
Where Coneli Uses This Same Material
Desserto® cactus leather — sourced from organically farmed Nopal cactus in Zacatecas, Mexico, and roughly 65–80% bio-based content — is the material behind several pieces in the Coneli range, each then handcrafted in Portugal:
- The Fanny Pack (Black, Beige, Green editions) — 100% cactus leather, three interchangeable straps
- The Belt — Black, Beige, and Green colorways use Desserto® cactus leather (Camel, Brown, and Espresso use OLEATEX® olive leather instead)
- The Tote — Edition Green is made from cactus leather (note: Edition Green currently has very limited stock)
Full technical detail on the material itself — how it's made, its durability, and how it compares to standard PU vegan leather — is in What Is Cactus Leather? How It's Made & Why It Lasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cactus leather used in cars?
In pilot and concept form, yes. BMW piloted Deserttex® cactus-based material through its Startup Garage program in 2021, and Mercedes-Benz used it in the Vision EQXX concept car's interior in 2022. Neither has confirmed a cactus-leather interior in a currently available production model.
What's the difference between Desserto and Deserttex?
They're made by the same company, Adriano Di Marti, from the same base cactus material. Desserto® is the fashion-grade version used in bags, shoes, and apparel — including Coneli's. Deserttex® is the automotive- and furniture-grade version, engineered for tougher durability standards.
Can I buy a BMW or Mercedes-Benz with a cactus leather interior today?
Not that this article could confirm. BMW's collaboration was a startup pilot program, and the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX was a technology concept car, not a model sold to customers. Coneli's cactus leather bags and belts, by contrast, are in production and available now.
What is cactus leather made from?
The leaves of the Nopal cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica), harvested without killing the plant, processed into a biomass, and combined with a bio-based binder — typically 65–80% bio-based content overall. Full details in What Is Cactus Leather?
Is Coneli affiliated with BMW or Mercedes-Benz?
No. Coneli has no partnership, sponsorship, or business relationship with either company. The connection is that both source (or piloted) material from the same cactus-leather supplier family that Coneli uses — nothing more.
Where does Coneli's cactus leather come from?
Desserto®, produced in Zacatecas, Mexico from organically farmed Nopal cactus. Coneli bags and belts using it are then handcrafted in Portugal.
Sources: vegconomist, "Desserto Cactus Leather Announces BMW Collaboration" (Sept. 2021); Chemical & Engineering News, "Mercedes interior uses cactus and mushroom leather, biotech silk" (Jan. 2022); VegNews, coverage of the Vision EQXX materials; Coneli's own What Is Cactus Leather? article and live product pages.