Too bad that on this side of the hemisphere one has to look at the conversion of automobiles from thermal to electric engines with concern. Because China’s electric car boom, on the other hand, includes leather and therefore drives tanneries’ production. The industry in the People’s Republic, lucky them, has not taken the bait of some veg propaganda, which has created the misguided conceptual connection between EV and leather-free.
China’s electric car boom
The satisfaction of CLIA, Chinese tanning association, can be heard from the halls of ACLE (All China Leather Exhibition, Sept. 3-5). In a difficult 2023 for the industry (-8%, as leatherbiz.com reports), leather for the car industry saw a 5% increment in production volumes thanks to a record year for the car. That increment equaled more than 30 million new vehicles, 9.5 of which electric. Of course, Beijing’s input to the sector plays a crucial role: so much that it sparked a trade war with Brussels. But, from our point of view, we only express regret.
Premium leather
CLIA explains that the Chinese public applies a simple logic when thinking of the matter. Desiring a premium driving experience means choosing a premium material for the interiors: leather. In Europe and North America, however, we don’t have the same reasoning. Because big brands, starting with Tesla and (almost) everyone else, decided that electric cars should get rid not only of heat engines, but also of leather seats. Why? According to them, in the name of sustainability. But more crudely, it’s to leverage marketing departments collaborating with the ‘vegan’ world. Sure, some turnarounds (such as Polestar’s) gives us hope that leather will reclaim its place in European and North American-made cockpits. But, at the moment, that’s not the case.
Read also:
- SlashGear slams Tesla’s veg leather: “An oxymoron, it’s plastic”
- From vegan first to vegan maybe: Polestar now supports leather
- Volvo dismisses Polestar: vegan first didn’t go far
