Volvo goes leather-free

Volvo is removing all materials derived from cows, starting with leather, from its vehicles, in order to set a new animal-friendly and sustainable standard in the automotive industry.

Volvo Cars is committed to animal welfare as part of its journey toward becoming a more sustainable automotive company. Leading the way is the new C40 Recharge, an all-electric crossover coupé SUV that is completely leather-free. By 2030, Volvo aims to sell only electric cars with leather-free interiors. This is part of its goal to become a circular business by 2040. While Volvo had previously announced plans to remove leather from its interiors, it is going one step further by actively working to eliminate by-products from the cattle industry, which it says are responsible for a large share of the 14% of greenhouse gas emissions caused by the livestock industry.

«As a progressive car manufacturer, it is our responsibility to address all aspects of sustainability – not just carbon emissions«, said Stuart Templar, Volvo Director of Global Sustainability. «We are firmly committed to finding solutions for a more sustainable future, in order to protect the wellbeing of future generations on our planet.» While the carmaker severs its ties with the livestock industry, Volvo vehicles will continue to offer wool blends from «suppliers certified for responsible sourcing«.

Volvo’s animal welfare commitments are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal Number 12 (Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns) and Goal Number 15 (Protecting biodiversity and all living beings). By 2025, Volvo aims for 25% of the materials in new Volvo models to consist of recycled and bio-based content, and for all immediate suppliers, including material suppliers, to use 100% renewable energy within this timeframe.

«As a purpose-driven company, Volvo Cars wants to address all areas of sustainability, and our commitment to protecting animals is part of our holistic approach to sustainability«, said Templar. «It is also an important ethical issue, a societal value that is strongly supported by the public and consumers worldwide.«

Volvo goes leather-free

Instead of leather, Volvo will explore a range of animal-free materials, such as Nordico, a new interior material being introduced in the next generation of Volvo models. This new textile material, developed by Volvo, is made from recycled materials such as PET bottles, organically grown material from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland, and recycled corks from the wine industry.

With these changes, Volvo aims to set a sustainability standard for the rest of the automotive industry and keep its business competitive at a time when consumers are seeking all kinds of animal-free products and services. «Our ambitions in the area of animal welfare and sustainability, including the switch to leather-free products, are also based on changing consumer behavior«, said Templar. «We see a growing trend in consumer demand for more sustainable materials in most of our key markets, and in particular for alternatives to leather, as people are concerned about animal welfare and the negative environmental impact of livestock farming. We share these concerns and therefore want to contribute to reducing the demand for leather.«

Car manufacturers move away from leather

Volvo is among a growing number of car manufacturers that have begun offering leather-free interiors to better serve their customers and the planet. In 2015, Tesla shareholders called on the company to offer leather-free options, which it later did the same year in the form of the «vegan ultra-white» implemented in the interior of the Model X. In 2016, the company expanded this option to all its models and began working on a leather-free steering wheel – the only component that had previously not been available without leather. In 2019, Tesla removed the last piece of cowhide from the Model 3's steering wheel, making a completely leather-free vehicle possible.

Other car manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen have also explored leather-free concepts. Similar to Volvo, British car manufacturer MINI committed earlier this year to eliminating leather from its future models in the name of sustainability. «In the future, we no longer need leather because we believe it is not sustainable«, MINI design chief Oliver Heilmer told Autocar.