PETA Reveals Results of Europe’s First-Ever Survey of Vegan Car Interiors
PETA Reveals Results of Europe’s First-Ever Survey of Vegan Car Interiors
From Citroën to Mercedes-Benz and Polestar, Find Out Which Car Manufacturers Are Meeting the Demand for Leather-Free Steering Wheels and Wool-Free Seats – and Which Are Missing the Mark
London – After hearing from numerous car shoppers concerned about the impact of their purchases on animals and the environment, PETA conducted the first-ever survey of vegan car interiors. We asked the most popular car brands if they offer models with animal-free interiors, including all cabin surfaces – from seats to trim to steering wheels. The results ran the gamut, from cars that come standard with vegan interiors to brands that offer wool- and leather-free interiors upon request and those that fail to offer any vegan interior options at all.
“The leather and wool industries are as toxic to the Earth as they are cruel to animals,” says PETA Director of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor. “PETA is calling on all car companies to fast-track innovative vegan interior options as standard on all models. New vegan materials like apple and grape leathers are now considered premium and will draw the attention of compassionate, eco-conscious consumers.”
Standouts in PETA’s survey include the plush, high-performing vegan leather interiors that come standard in the Polestar 2 and the Tesla Model 3. Other car manufacturers that offer numerous vegan interior options, either as standard or upon request, include Citroën, Dacia, Ford, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault, smart, and Toyota.
On the other end of the spectrum, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mazda, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, and Volvo are among the brands currently offering no vegan interiors whatsoever – but Bentley has started to introduce leather made from grapes into its designs, and Volvo will start offering vegan interiors in 2021.
A PETA video exposé revealed that calves are branded on the face and gentle cows and bulls are electroshocked and beaten before finally being slaughtered to be made into the leather interiors offered by the world’s largest car companies. It takes an average of three cows’ hides to cover the interior of one standard car. Turning animals’ skin into leather requires 130 different chemicals – including cyanide – and leather production has a massive carbon footprint.
Wool, too, is exacerbating the environmental crisis. Raising sheep contributes to climate change, soil erosion, and water pollution. PETA affiliate exposés of 116 wool-production facilities in Australia, Europe, North America, and South America have documented that sheep are systematically beaten, mutilated, and even skinned alive for their wool.
PETA, whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”, opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow the group on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Contact:
Sascha Camilli +44 (0) 20 7923 6244; [email protected]
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