The quality of an entrepreneur comes from being able to interpret situations, trends, and a s a result, opportunities (in advance). Elon Musk should then have enough elements to understand that Tesla’s stance on leather is wrong. The automotive premium market clearly says that his “vegan” veto on leather is a mistake: competitors (such as Polestar) behave differently, and aftermarket services are generating revenue by substituting Tesla’s seating materials with leather. If Musk is as smart as he says, he should change path, and quickly.
The warning sign showing Tesla’s misjudgment of leather
This first warning sign is from Novitec. The Bavaria-based company “tunes” cars (which modifies the setting of luxury vehicles, adds details to interiors and other modifications). It’s a positive outcome, that Novitec extended its services to Tesla’s models S, 3, X and Y. It means it considers the cars to be on the same level as those made by Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini. Yet, there is one aspect that Tesla should pay attention to: among the options offered by Novitec, there is also the substitution of the brand’s “vegan ok” material with real leather.
What the market demands
It would appear as if Musk is missing out on a business opportunity. Because the money generated by customers wanting leather interiors aren’t ending up in Tesla’s coffins. The entrepreneur is the CEO of the brand, as well as the product architect, and thus should be aware of what is being done by competitors. We already spoke of Polestar, the EV brand by Volvo, and how it switched from a “full vegan” approach to a “vegan first” one. Polestar not only once again offers leather as a material for its interiors, but it also gave value to it by recognizing its sustainable performance with a “badge of honour”. Think about it Mr. Musk: you may be wrong on leather.
In photo, on the left a Novitec solution for Tesla, on the right Elon Muck (from Wikipedia)
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