A survey by animal rights charity PETA has found a considerable increase in brands offering vegan car interiors worldwide.
PETA contacted the most popular car brands in the biggest global markets to find out whether they offer interiors free of animal-derived materials such as leather and wool. Cabin surfaces, seats, trim, and steering wheels were all taken into account.
Mercedes-Benz and BMW confirmed that they now offer several models with vegan interiors; the latter recently announced that the 5 Series Touring would feature seat surfaces made from an innovative leather alternative called Veganza. Fiat also offers animal-free interiors, as does Volkswagen for several of its models available on the German market. Volvo, Citroën, Dacia, Peugeot, Renault, smart, and Polestar all offer vegan interior options either as standard or on request. Across the UK and Europe, Fisker, BYD, Abarth, Jeep, Kia, and Lancia also offer animal-free interior options.
However, many brands — including Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Hongqi, Hyundai, IM, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, SEAT, and Tata — either did not respond or confirmed that they do not offer vegan interiors.
Innovative interior solutions
PETA previously conducted a similar survey in 2022 to examine the vegan car interiors available on the European market. A significant number of models were found to use animal-free materials, and the number of vegan-friendly interior options has since increased even further. Last year, research by car dealership Dick Lovett compiled a review ranking the 25 most vegan-friendly car manufacturers globally; Ford came out on top, followed by Honda, Vauxhall, Mercedes-Benz, and Nissan.
In November, automotive interior solutions supplier Sage Automotive Interiors partnered with plant-based leather producer Natural Fiber Welding to make recyclable and biodegradable leather alternatives more widely available across the industry. Other innovations, such as mycelium leather, could also help to make car interiors more ethical.
“Car interiors made from wool and leather are the products of cruelty and are harmful to the planet,” says PETA Vice President of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor. “PETA is celebrating the growing number of companies offering vegan interiors as standard and calling on those still dragging their tires to gear up to innovative plant leathers and vegan wools.”
