Volvo Cars announced last week that it plans to make all its fully electric models completely leather-free by 2030, as part of “an ethical stand for animal welfare.”
This includes a goal of using 100 percent renewable energy by 2025 and making 25 percent of the material in Volvo models from recycled and “bio-based” content by then, on the way to what it aims for as a completely circular business—where materials are continuously reused—by 2040. However, it notes that simply eliminating leather, in the complex supply chains involved in car manufacturing, doesn’t necessarily make them vegan.
The first Volvo model completely devoid of leather will be the C40 Recharge, set to be unveiled later this year.
Otherwise, on the path to that goal, it will use materials like Nordico, a textile made from recycled plastics, recycled cork, and sustainably sourced forests in Scandinavia. With attention to the supply chain, wool products will still be offered.
Volvo notes that livestock is estimated to be responsible for about 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions related to human activity, with livestock being the major part. Deforestation is an interrelated issue.
In an adjacent report, Volvo points out that in the U.S., nearly a third of Generation Z and Millennials say they would pay more for products that have the least negative impact on the environment.
“Finding products and materials that support animal welfare is going to be a challenge, but that is no reason to avoid this important issue,” said Stuart Templar. “This is a journey worth taking. Having a truly progressive and sustainable mindset means we must ask ourselves difficult questions and actively seek answers.”
These efforts closely parallel those outlined last year by Volvo’s fully electric cousin, Polestar. Although Volvo’s goals are more ambitious, potentially covering much higher volume and scale, Polestar aims to reduce plastic content by 80 percent by using natural fiber-based materials, including Bcomp, which is made from flax. Polestar then emphasized that it already has a vegan interior in the Polestar 2.
BMW recently revealed the i Vision Circular concept, showing how it might make a circular-economy-oriented electric vehicle, aiming for nearly 100 percent recycled materials and 100 percent recyclability by 2040, as part of a plan to cut CO2 emissions. On the other hand, Audi says it will use a new generation of sustainable materials in all its vehicles, not just electric ones. GM has stated it aims for 50 percent sustainable material content in its vehicles by 2030.
Among electric vehicle startups, Fisker perhaps makes the loftiest claims. It has asserted that the upcoming Ocean EV will be the world’s most sustainable vehicle, with eco-suede, reclaimed tire rubber, and regenerated nylon carpet.
