Are cars vegan-friendly? It’s a question I began pondering lately, and it’s a hard one to answer. Unlike cows who produce milk or are used as beef, chickens who lay eggs or bees who provide honey, there is no obvious animal product in your car. The only thing you might find would be leather for seats, steering wheels and gear sticks – but not every vehicle has leather! If you have found this article looking for an answer on whether your car is vegan-friendly or not, then read on…
Leather Trim
We’ll start with the obvious, which is leather trim. If your car has leather seats, dash trim, steering wheel cover or gearstick cover, then it obviously contains animal products. Leather trim is typical in high-end trim levels and luxury cars.
The good news is that leather dupes are now as good as the real thing, which means we don’t really need to keep including leather in our vehicles. In fact, Volvo has just announced that they transition away from using leather in their cars because of mounting concerns surrounding the negative effects of cattle farming on the planet.
The new electric C40 already has no leather option on the spec list. Volvo says all electric vehicles going forward will be leather-free, and ALL new vehicles manufactured will be electric by 2030. This means from 2030, all of their line-up will be leather-free.
Stuart Templar, Volvo’s director of global sustainability says:
“Being a progressive car maker means we need to address all areas of sustainability, not just CO2 emissions,”
“Responsible sourcing is an important part of that work, including respect for animal welfare. Going leather-free inside our pure-electric cars is a good next step towards addressing this issue.”
We hope other manufacturers will follow suit, especially since EV’s are supposed to be better for the environment. It seems counter-productive to be lining parts of them with a CO2 producer greater than cars.
Is Car Steel Vegan?
When you become vegan, you suddenly start realising that animal fats are used everywhere. Vehicles are no different. The steel used in cars is usually lubricated with animal fats.
Are Tyres Vegan?
The majority of tyres are vulcanised with tallow, which is an animal by-product. Tallow is saturated animal fat made from cows or sheep. It has a dry, waxy texture. Stearic acid derived from tallow enhances the flexibility, strength and grip of the tyres.
Michelin, however, uses a plant-based alternative stearic acid which is vegan-friendly across their entire range—making all of their tyres vegan-friendly.
Can vegans drive?
The simple answer is yes. Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to animals as far as is possible and practicable.
Buying used products is better for the environment than new ones. You’re giving them a second lease of life. Throwing things out because they’re not vegan when they still have life in them is also wasteful. So don’t go switching your tyres until new ones are needed.
When the time comes to get a new vehicle, you can opt for one that has a cloth or Alcantara interior instead of leather.
Are Car Cleaning products vegan-friendly?
As with many household cleaning products, the answer is no. Whether it’s because they contain animal products or because they’ve been subjected to animal testing, the majority of car cleaning products are not vegan.
Of course, you can choose to look for vegan-friendly cleaning products such as the Astonish range of car cleaning products. Use microfibre mitts and cloths instead of leather chamois.
What are the most vegan-friendly cars?
The good news is, that like Volvo, manufacturers are becoming aware of the growing demand to move away from leather. Many cars can now be specified with an alternative trim option.
Here are some cars that do well:
Renault Twizzy
The Twizzy is a funny-looking car. It almost looks like something from a sci-fi movie. This fully electric two-seater is an eco-vehicle. It has a lightweight steel chassis that is encased in a plastic frame. This means the use of steel is far below other cars on the market.
The interior is entirely plastic, even the seats, meaning there’s no leather in sight. Pair one of these with some Michelin tyres, and you are as close to a vegan-friendly car as is possible at this moment in time.
The New Volvo C40
As a pioneer in Volvo’s new leather-free initiative, the c40 deserves a place on this list. Volvo has always been pioneers. They invented the seatbelt, and they refused to patent it so that other manufacturers could use it, improving vehicle safety worldwide.
As a 100% electric vehicle, this stylish compact SUV is not only a head-turner but also much better for the planet than its gas-guzzling counterparts. Be sure to avoid the wool interior options.
VW iD.3
The Volkswagen iD.3 is also an all-electric vehicle with zero emissions. After meetings with Peta, VW decided to offer leather and wool-free interior options for their all-electric hatchback.
This car has a modern interior and is perfect for the average family car, especially the family model. Be sure to check the options if purchasing this vehicle as there are leather steering wheels included on some trim levels which you will want to avoid.
Toyota Prius
The Prius is a hybrid vehicle. This means it uses a combination of a combustion engine with an electric motor. Released in the UK back in 2000, there are plenty of new and used Prius models to choose from on the market. Some do have leather steering wheels, unfortunately, but the majority of the interior is plastic and cloth.
The Prius has been a success with many celebs opting to own one over the years.
Of course, there are plenty of cars on the market with lower trim levels that have no leather steering wheels and a cloth/plastic interior. These cars all make great candidates. The ones we have chosen have the added benefit of greener credentials for the environment.
Currently, there are no 100% vegan-friendly cars on the market. Rome wasn’t built in a day. A few years back, there were no real vegan options in fast food outlets. Today they are becoming more frequently available.
With awareness and customer demand, more manufacturers will look for alternatives. PETA is doing a fantastic job of speaking with car manufacturers to enlighten them on the need for animal-free interior options.
The Vegan Agenda is a participant in affiliate schemes including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
we only recommend products and services we would buy and use ourselves. Purchases made through these links are never expected but. always appreciated.
