Volvo is going leather free

Swedish car company Volvo is making a statement in the car industry. They have recently announced that not only will they only sell electric vehicles by 2030 but that those cars will be created with leather-free interiors. Volvo’s current leather interior is sourced from raw hides from the beef industry.

Talking to Roadshow, a Volvo spokesperson shared that animal welfare is a huge factor behind the change. “We intend to reduce leather content in our cars and this will be a gradual transition. We are conscious that consumers increasingly want leather-free materials, due to concerns over animal welfare.”

Instead of animals, Volvo will choose from “several different material alternatives, including sustainable vinyls and textiles.” The hope is that by 2025, approximately 25% of the cars’ material will be “recycled and bio-based.”

This change is just one part of the car company’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2040. Volvo got started on this plan last year when they debuted its first fully electric leather-free vehicle, the Polestar 2. They continued this trend in 2021 with the C40 Recharge, its newest electric vehicle, a crossover coupe SUV that happens to be leather-free.

Despite this welcome step, this doesn’t mean Volvo vehicles will be completely vegan. By nature, auto production frequently makes use of animal-derived formulas in adhesives and other products.

Article written by Tessa Altman- United States