Swedish car company Volvo to go leather-free and fully electric by 2030

Swedish car manufacturer Volvo will be ditching leather and going fully electric by the year 2030, according to a recent announcement.

These two goals are part of a sustainability drive by the company and will help it meet the target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2040.

Volvo’s first electric car, the Polestar 2 debuted last year, with a completely leather-free interior. This week, the company has unveiled its second model, the C40 Recharge.

Moreover, Volvo is responding to demand for cruelty-free alternatives, stating: “We are conscious that consumers increasingly want leather-free materials, due to concerns over animal welfare.”

Volvo is a brand that is focused on environmental sustainability and by 2025, it is aiming for 25% of all material within its car to be recycled and bio-based.

While Volvo’s leather-free cars are not yet completely vegan (as adhesives and other products contain animal-derived formulas) this is a huge step forward for cruelty-free lifestyles in the modern world.

• Do vegan students perform better in school?
• Are you a feminist who drinks dairy? This is why you need to quit
• Nourish London: when vegan skincare meets science

Other cars go leather-free

Volvo isn’t the only car manufacturer to ditch leather, as just last month MINI revealed that all future car models will be completely leather-free.

MINI already uses 100% recycled materials for the fabric seats in its non-leather cars, and the seat cushions are 70% recycled. However, the brand aims to go even further, by doing away with leather altogether going forward.

In an interview with Autocar, Mini’s Head of Design, Oliver Heilmer, said: “We don’t need leather any more in the future, because we don’t believe it’s sustainable.

“We’re totally convinced that we will have modern and high-value products without leather.

And it’s not just MINI making efforts towards sustainability, BMW and Audi have also made efforts to remove leather interiors.

We can’t wait to see what’s next for the future of cars, and we hope Volvo goes fully vegan soon!

Trying to be more sustainable with your beauty routine?
Read our guide on how to make your own eco-friendly vegan beauty products.

Photo credit: Volvo