The automotive brand, which is owned by Volvo Cars and parent company Geely, said that leather alternatives are its focus, as soon as they can match the performance of leather.
”At Polestar, we are closely following developments around new alternatives to leather,” said Head of Sustainability Fredrika Klarén. “Unfortunately, these materials do not work for car seats at this moment, as they don’t meet our tough requirements for lifetime durability, wear and tear.”
Polestar has listed a variety of reasons for its desire to move away from leather, including: risks of violations of animal welfare, environmental pollution, climate emissions and a growing population of vegans.
“Within the automotive industry, there are usually talks about using PVC as a vegan alternative to leather,” said Klarén. “But a complete switch from genuine leather to a plastic-based option would increase the use of PVC, which would lead to negative effects on the environment, both in manufacturing and at end of life”.
The company has said it will continue to use leather, which it describes as a high-quality by-product from the food industry but will continue working to find an alternative material for its vehicle interiors.
The full statement can be found on Polestar’s website.
