The car company announced that its entire fleet will be leather-free before the end of the decade.
The number of car companies making the move toward more sustainable and vegan-friendly materials is rapidly increasing. Tesla doesn’t offer leather interiors in any of their cars, and many popular brands such as Toyota and Ford have models with vegan leather interiors. And now, Volvo has pledged to ditch leather by 2030!
Volvo’s Pledge to Go Leather-Free
Volvo’s pledge to go leather-free comes after it’s recent commitment to sustainability by transitioning their entire fleet to electric by 2030 as well. The vegan leather that Volvo will offer is made from recycled bottles, corks, and bio-based materials from Swedish and Finnish forests. The material is called Nordico and is the brand’s own creation, which they hope will become the new standard in leather-free interiors. Volvo also has plans to use soil-replenishing flax fibers for their door panels in new models.
While the brand will still continue to offer wool-based materials in many interiors, the removal of leather is just the first step in an answer to consumers’ demands for sustainably made and sourced products.
Cruelty-Free Car Options
Currently, Volvo already offers one fully electric and leather-free vehicle—the C40 Recharge Model, a compact sport utility vehicle. The car’s original electric range will be 261 miles between charges, and Volvo has pledged to offer wireless upgrades for all of its new electric models.
This will both extend the car’s charge as the software evolves and encourage continued use of the cars rather than the purchase of new ones as updated models come out.
While it’s difficult to find an entirely vegan car due to various animal-based fats and acids used in the production process, the move toward fully electric engines and the removal of leather is a huge step in the right direction toward more sustainable and cruelty-free car options.
