Volvo Going Leather-Free With Future EVs, Starting With C40 Recharge

When the 2022 Volvo C40 Recharge made its global debut last March, it came with a lot of quirky feats. Most notable of which was the fact that Volvo's second full-electric model will only be sold online. Another interesting thought was this: the C40 Recharge, even as a luxury EV, doesn't have one bit of leather inside.

That isn't a one-time thing, though. In fact, Volvo has officially announced that all future electric vehicles coming from the brand will be completely leather-free. According to the Swedish automaker, this is in line with its ethical stand for animal welfare and sustainability.

That said, all Volvo vehicles will be completely rid of leather by 2030, the year it aims to offer only electric vehicles.

In lieu of cowhide, Volvo is offering high-quality sustainable materials made from bio-based and recycled sources. One example is Nordico, which is a new interior material created by Volvo itself. Nordico consists of textiles made from recycled material such as PET bottles, bio-attributed material from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland, and corks recycled from the wine industry. This material is said to debut in the next generation of Volvo models.

Volvo will continue offering wool blend options, but only from suppliers that are certified to source responsibly.

The decision to use leather-free interiors is driven by Volvo's concern about the negative environmental impacts of cattle farming, including deforestation. Livestock is estimated to be responsible for around 14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, with the majority coming from cattle farming.

In line with the aforementioned move, Volvo wants 25 percent of the material used in new Volvo cars to consist of recycled and bio-based content by 2025. The company also wants its immediate suppliers, including material suppliers, to use 100 percent renewable energy by the same year.