Volvo Makes Ethical Stand With Leather-Free EVs

C40 Recharge Interior

Luxury plush leather seats could be a thing of the past if Volvo Cars’ ethical stand for animal welfare becomes a universal approach. But for now the movement is limited to its fully electric cars and just Volvo.

The rethinking will start with new C40 Recharge, all new fully electric with plans to be completely leather-free by 2030 on all electric cars.

As part of its ambitions to go completely leather-free, the Swedish marque is working actively to find high-quality and sustainable sources for many materials currently used in the wider car industry.

By 2025, the company is aiming for 25 per cent of the material in new cars to consist of recycled and bio-based content, as it looks to become a fully circular business by 2040. As part of its climate action plans, it also aims for all of its immediate suppliers, including material suppliers, to use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025.

The company’s move towards leather-free interiors is also driven by a concern about the negative environmental impacts of cattle farming, including deforestation. Livestock is estimated to be responsible for around 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, with the majority coming from cattle farming.

Instead of leather interior options, Volvo will offer its customers alternatives such as high-quality sustainable materials made from bio-based and recycled source

Nordico, a new interior material created by the company will consist of textiles made from recycled material such as PET bottles, bio-attributed material from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland, and corks recycled from the wine industry – setting a new standard for premium interior design. This material will make its debut in the next generation of Volvo models.

“Being a progressive car maker means we need to address all areas of sustainability, not just CO2 emissions,” said Stuart Templar, director of global sustainability at Volvo Cars. “Responsible sourcing is an important part of that work, including respect for animal welfare. Going leather-free inside our pure electric cars is a good next step towards addressing this issue.

The company has taken this step because it believes that while going leather-free is a step in the right direction, doing so alone does not make a car interior vegan.

By aiming to actively replace these materials as much as possible, Volvo Cars takes a strong and ethical position to do what it can to help stop animal harm, by contributing to a reduced demand for these materials containing animal products.

Previous articleMaybank And UOB Provide Islamic Facilities For MCB RM2 Billion Acquisition Exercise
Next articleBoost For Seberang Perai e-payment services

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here