Renault Commits to Leather-Free Future Following Talks with PETA

15.07.2025

London — Leading auto manufacturer Renault is the latest brand to commit to eliminating the use of animal leather interiors across its entire range of vehicles by the end of 2025. The move follows conversations with PETA, who shared its Vegan Car Interior Survey, showcasing a trend toward animal-free car interiors amid growing consumer demand.

High-resolution photos available here.

“True luxury is free from cruelty – and Renault understands that,” says PETA Vice President of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor. “By refusing to work with leather, Renault is helping save animal lives, reduce its environmental impact, and prove that compassion and innovation go hand in hand.”

The global leather trade kills approximately one billion animals every year, and, on average, it takes the hides of three cows or bulls to cover the interior of a standard-sized car. One PETA exposé of suppliers to the largest leather processor in the world revealed that calves are branded with hot irons on their faces, and cows and bulls are electrocuted and beaten before being slaughtered.

In addition to the cruelty involved, leather is highly polluting. Due to the thicker hides used, non-vegan car interiors tend to have an even worse environmental impact than fashion items made from animal skins. Transforming animal hides into leather requires up to 170 chemicals (including cyanide, chromium, and coal-tar derivatives), which are toxic to human tannery workers and poison waterways. One report also linked leather car interiors to illegal land clearing and biodiversity loss.

The new Renault 5 E-Tech Electric, Symbioz and Rafale all feature seats made from eco-friendly fabrics made with recycled plastic waste from landfills and other recycled textiles.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow PETA on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.

Contact:

Sascha Camilli +44 (0) 20 7923 6244; [email protected]

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