Tesla Now Makes a Car for Vegans
Tesla has launched an all-vegan interior in the Model X.
During Tesla’s 2015 annual meeting, PETA brought up the idea that Tesla should offer only vegan leather for its car interiors at which point CEO Elon Musk said he would “absolutely” consider it. Musk kept his word, with PETA working directly with the American electric automaker to offer a fully vegan interior on the new Model X crossover.
While working with Tesla, PETA pointed out that the automaker could reduce its carbon footprint by using only vegan leather, noting that turning animal skins into leather requires 130 different chemicals, including cyanide. In addition, PETA added that the people who work in and live near tanneries suffer from exposure to those toxic chemicals while producing leather.
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The Ultra White synthetic leather is available on the Model X as an option, meaning that Tesla didn’t toss out traditional leather interiors entirely, a concern Tesla’s board of directors had. The original proposals that were brought forward went as far as asking to end the use of leather in the interiors of Tesla vehicles, which the board of director noted would have weakened the company’s position as a luxury automaker.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Leather isn't just a byproduct of the meat industry. Leather can be made from cows, pigs, goats, and sheep; exotic animals such as alligators, ostriches, and kangaroos; and even dogs and cats, who are slaughtered for their meat and skin in China, which exports their skins around the world. Tesla is saving countless animals of many species.
Cool! I think a lot of the synthetic materials they are using on cars can be better then leather. Vw cars come to mind.