No one has ever asked for such an interior, but the company is ready for it
Automakers are steering away from leather to be more ecofriendly
Mini and Volvo have already announced thy will stop using leather completely
Leather has been associated with luxury in cars since the beginning of the last century and automakers have used it continuously since then, but the ecological and moral aspect associated with the production of leather is making more and more people question its pertinence.
Many people believe that using leather should not be encouraged, since it promotes mass farming of livestock, which comes with multiple drawbacks on the environmental and the moral aspects.
This is why some automakers are turning away from leather by replacing it with new materials, often made from recycled matters.
Rolls-Royce just announced it is ready to replace leather by a more sustainable material in its cars if a customer asks for it, but the company said that no one has ever asked for such an interior on their Rolls-Royce.
This material would most likely be very similar to the one used in some Mini vehicles since both companies are owned by BMW; an imitation leather made from vegetables.
Automakers, especially Rolls-Royce, are faced with developing a material that is more ecological than leather, while retaining the same luxurious appearance and feel that people have come to expect in cars of a certain price.
Rolls-Royce is not the first ultra-luxury brand to make this move, since Bentley has offered a leather alternative since 2017.
On the more mainstream market, Tesla has also offered a synthetic leather for a few years in its models.
Mini and Volvo have even announced they will stop using leather in their vehicles completely as soon as 2030.
Volvo has a slightly different approach to this situation than other automakers, since its new material, called Nordico, is very different from leather, since it is made with recycled plastic bottles.
