Sept. 23 (UPI) — The future of sustainable luxury materials doesn’t include leather.
Volvo announced Thursday that all of its fully electric cars will be completely leather-free, starting with the newly launched C40 Recharge.
Customers can choose high-quality alternatives from recycled sources including wool blend options. It will offer Nordico — a new interior material made of recycled wine-industry corks and forest material from Sweden and Finland — in its next models.
The company made the announcement in conjunction with the publication of a new report with trend-forecasting company The Future Laboratory called “The Rise of Conscious Design.”
The report relied on information from a variety of sources including interviews, insights, and research. It cited the Vogue Business Index which stated last year that a brand’s environmental policies are a critical factor for two-thirds of consumers purchasing luxury items.
“This means the material world is evolving and designers around the world are actively sourcing high-quality, sustainable, and responsibly sourced materials as they strive to create the luxury products of the future,” the company said in a press release.
In response to President Joe Biden’s goal set in August for half of all new vehicles to be electric by 2030, Volvo joined other car companies in a statement expressing support. It already announced in March that all of its vehicles will be electric and sold online by the end of the decade.