It’s clear that Elon Musk is a bit confused on leather. The entrepreneur has for years continued to bring forward his battle against leather car interiors: they are not going inside Tesla vehicles. But, he apparently really enjoys wearing it for the look it gives him. Elon should decide: he can’t make claims to the world that Tesla cars, to be green, also need to be leather free, if he ends up in conferences with a leather jacket that also has a fur lining.
Leather? “Not in Tesla cars”
Elon Musk’s name is of course tied to the electric carmaker, which he helped create. Tesla abandoned leather in 2017 in favor of animal-free alternatives for “ethical and performance reasons” (or so he thinks). Musk, in that moment, helped connect “electric vehicles” to “vegan”. But the syllogism between vegan and sustainable isn’t scientifically proven, as shown by academic studies, and is particularly bothersome because it misinforms consumers and creates false myths. Moreover, Tesla continues to be criticized by its clients, as they grow disappointed of the performances of the interiors: “they break, melt and smell”. Alternative materials aren’t greener than leather (as they are often made of plastic), nor are they more durable: there is something to be said about the coherence of Musk’s opinion.
Facts
Everybody can contradict him/herself. But doing it twice means being confused or, even worse, misinformed. Musk showed up to the launch of Tesla’s new eco-truck wearing a biker leather jacket that called to the masculinity inspired by movies and music videos. Then, a little after, it participated in an event (in photo) wearing polished leather boots and a leather jacket that seemed to come from the aviation world. It’s now unclear what Elon’s “vegan strategy” consists in, if not a well-applied marketing scheme: riding the sustainability wave with a less applicable form.
Because in the end, what’s the difference between a leather jacket and a leather seat? Additionally, Musk has a car collection that includes a Jaguar E-Type Roadster, a Lotus Esprit, a McLaren F1 and a Porsche 911 Turbo. All of course have leather interiors. The matter should be settled in the most logical manner: by bringing leather back to Tesla.
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