Back in September 2021, Volvo promised to drop leather cabins in new cars. But now the car brand is backing down because customers hate the vegan alternative.
Volvo is forced to reintroduce leather cabins in its new models after a flood of negative feedback from customers dissatisfied with the vegan alternative.
This means Volvo is going directly against its own ceilings from 2021. In September of that year, it appeared that Volvo would completely phase out the use of leather in its cars.
However, the group also lost faith when it was told that the combustion engine would be completely phased out by 2030 at the latest. As recently as last year, the brand had to admit that it couldn't be done anyway. Read more about it here.
Volvo originally thought that by removing leather cabins from new cars, they were moving in a more sustainable direction. But it's a direction that hurts too much.
"Stopping using leather in our electric cars is a good next step towards solving a problem," said Volvo's sustainability manager at the time.
Customers hate Volvo's vegan interior
Now, however, Volvo has changed course. Leather upholstery will once again be found in the cars. Specifically, Volvo is changing course with the Chinese-built E90.
For an additional price of 16,000 Swedish kronor – just over 11,000 Danish kronor – customers can opt for an interior with ventilated nappa leather. It is expected that more models will follow suit.
The car brand's decision to 'take the leather to heart' has already drawn criticism from animal welfare organizations.
"In Sweden, hides from animals killed in the meat industry are rarely used. Instead, hides are imported from other countries where the animals have lived under questionable conditions," says Nana Thydén from Djurens Rätt ifolge Carup.
The brand has confirmed that they are once again offering leather to customers. However, the Swedish Chinese place the responsibility for the decision with the car buyers.
– Yes, it is true (that there is leather again in new Volvos, ed.). But the decision to reintroduce leather into our offer is based solely on feedback from our customers, says Magnus Holst, press manager at Volvo in Sweden.
