Volkswagen is partnering with German startup Revoltech on a hemp-based project alternative to leather upholstery to help further reduce the impact of vehicles on the environment.
New material could be used in VW models by 2028The carmaker said. VW claims the hemp-based material can be produced at existing plants and can be recycled or composted at the end of its useful life.
Volkswagen tests synthetic leather made from hemp
Material made from the rest of the hemp plant grown for the food industry that would otherwise have no practical use, according to VW, which also claims that the material is vegan and oil freeunlike the faux leather upholstery that some car manufacturers offer as a vegan alternative to animal skin.
“In our search for new materials, we are very open to new ideas from many different industries,” Kai Grünitz, head of technical development at the VW brand, said in a statement.
Volkswagen tests synthetic leather made from hemp
Carmakers have started moving away from leather for sustainability reasons. Volvo plans to go no leather in all of his electric cars by 2030, while Kia plans to ditch leather in the future as well. In addition, Polestar has experimented with many natural and recycled materials To address the environmental impact of manufacturing, this is a more important consideration for electric vehicles that do not emit “tailpipe emissions”.
However, the leather industry is pushing back against claims that alternatives are more sustainable. In January, trade group One 4 Leather released a statement claiming leather was lower carbon footprint rather than the synthetic upholstery proposed for electric cars. Their argument is that cattle are already raised for milk and meat, so using leather is essentially recycling material that would otherwise go to waste. But that seems like an argument for eating less beef and drinking less milk rather than continuing to cover car interiors in cowhide.
