Volvo forgets about animal leather in the interior of its cars

Listening to customers is always a guarantee of success. This does not mean that opinions from outside the company should always be followed, but rather weighing up what they say and adapting business decisions to what the people who are going to buy the product demand. For this reason, Volvo has decided to do without natural leather for the upholstery of its models.

The current trend that seeks sustainability and animal welfare has encouraged the brand’s executives to rethink their interior design strategy. One of the most popular options in the higher-end ranges is leather upholstery or different types of leather. But its use involves industrial production of that material, which comes from livestock farming.

Fabrics made from recycled materials

The absence of this type of material has led the brand to focus on other types of materials that avoid the use of natural leather. One of the options, which has gained ground among others, is the growing use of materials obtained from recycled ones. In this way, the interior of Volvo models will also become a sustainably manufactured space that respects the environment.

One of these materials is the so-called Nordico. It is a material made from recycled elements such as PET bottles, biological materials coming from forests in Sweden and Finland, and cork from the wine industry. The upcoming Volvo models will feature this material, which offers a very attractive and elegant look.

Upholstery is not the only goal of this initiative. The company wants at least 25% of the materials used in the brand’s vehicles to come from this source. And little by little, they will gain ground and become the most important element of the vehicle. All Volvo vehicles will eventually have a zero environmental impact, just like the brand’s factories.

The Volvo plan is to have 100% of its models fully electrified by 2030, so the changes will be profound and will not only affect the use of this biological material.