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EVs like the Rivian R1T, GMC Hummer EV, and Volvo C40 Recharge all use leather-free alternatives to promote sustainable cow-free upholstery.

From the February/March 2022 issue of Car and Driver.

Once the exclusive province of luxury cars, today leather can be optioned even in economy cars such as the Nissan Sentra and Honda Civic, and its popularity is increasing. In a recent survey of new-car buyers by market-research firm Strategic Vision, 53 percent reported getting leather, up from 46 percent a decade earlier. Green cred, though, may become more important going forward.

A survey from the research firm Strategic Vision found that 46 percent of respondents at least somewhat agree that a luxurious seat MUST be made of leather.

While automakers have offered synthetic leather for years, typically as a cheaper alternative to the real thing, the new trend is to pitch it as the sustainable choice, often in EVs. Prodded by PETA, Tesla ditched leather upholstery by 2017 (getting rid of leather-wrapped steering wheels took longer). Other EV makers are following suit. The new Rivian R1T uses "vegan leather" upholstery exclusively; GMC's Hummer EV pickup and SUV will have synthetic skins as well. Volvo's C40 Recharge is leather-free, and by 2030, when its entire lineup is electric, no Volvo will use leather.

But it may be that automakers are running ahead of consumer preferences. "In a focus group, someone may say, 'I don't want to harm animals,' " says Strategic Vision president Alexander Edwards. "But people also like to eat steak and have leather in their vehicles."

Most vegan automotive textiles are plastics. Historically, vinyl, or polyvinyl chloride, has been made from petroleum oil. The latest versions claim a greener provenance, sort of. Faux leathers can be created from all sorts of things—apple peels, pine­apple-plant leaves, mushroom roots (although none of those are yet in production cars). Mazda claims that the Premium Vintage Leatherette in its MX-30 EV is made with minimal organic solvents. Lexus reports that production of the brand's NuLuxe uses no volatile organic compounds and creates 65 percent less carbon emissions than real leather. At Volvo, Rekha Meena, senior design manager for color and material, says the company's Microtech vinyl is also made without harmful plasticizers.