Volvo will remove leather from electric car interiors to protect animals

Volvo is actively finding new ways to protect the environment, chief of which is the company’s goal to become a purely electric brand by the end of the decade. Today, the Swedish brand is taking an ethical stand for animal welfare by deciding to remove leather altogether from the interior of its future EVs. Leading the way is the C40 Recharge unveiled earlier this year as a sleeker take on the XC40 Recharge.

Getting rid of leather is easier said than done as the Geely-owned brand must remain a luxury car manufacturer at its core. Some would argue a leather-free interior is not worthy of premium car status, but we’d beg to differ and so would Volvo. What are the substitutes? Sustainable materials created using bio-based and recycled sources while making sure they’re high-quality enough to meet the firm’s standards as well as the expectations of a luxury car buyer.

A relevant example of an eco-friendly material used by Volvo is its new Nordico, consisting of textiles originating from recycled materials like PET bottles. It also uses bio-attributed material from sustainable forests in Finland and Sweden, and even corks recycled from wine bottles. We will be seeing this interior material in next-generation models, likely the new XC90 debuting in 2022.

At the same time, Volvo says it will continue to offer wool blend options, but only if it’s provided by suppliers who source the goods in a sustainable manner, without negatively impacting our already fragile environment. Another way to protect Mother Earth is by diminishing the use of residual products from livestock production for making rubber, plastics, adhesives, and lubricants.

Other methods to become greener announced by Volvo include targeting 25% of all interior materials to consist of recycled and bio-based content by 2025 when it wants all of its immediate suppliers to exclusively use renewable energy.

Source: Volvo