Rolls-Royce is known for its quality materials and craftsmanship, but what about vegan options? Well, it appears that the British marque is prepared to cater to this need and has been for an unspecified time. According to the company's CEO, nobody has ordered a vegan-leather Rolls-Royce.
Vegan leather is currently an option in vehicles offered by many brands, while other marques only offer this kind of fabric instead of the traditional leather. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce focuses on offering high-quality fabrics that are sustainably produced.
As Rolls-Royce's CEO explained in an interview with the Brits at Autocar, the company is ready to respond to customer requests when they decide to switch away from their hide. In theory, if all Rolls-Royce customers would stop ordering their cars without leather starting tomorrow, the company could make the switch to leather-free interiors.
Back in 2017, we reported that Bentley was exploring leatherless options. The goal at that point was to see what materials can be employed in a luxury-appointed interior without the use of leather. Synthetic materials seemed to be the best answer, but they need to be sustainably sourced to justify their existence.
Bentley experimented with a material that was called Vegea, and it was a vegan leather made out of grape stalks, seeds, and skins.
The Swedes at Volvo have developed a fabric named Nordico, made from recycled materials, which is the company's proposal for those interested in sustainable vehicle interiors. Mercedes also chose to use recycled materials to obtain new fabrics and textures inside its vehicles. The seven-time World Champion in Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, requested the brand to offer vegan leather options.
Since Rolls-Royce is part of the BMW Group, which already offers vegan leather options in its cars, the British marque has a starting point for such options. Moreover, we are convinced that Rolls-Royce can make any material feel luxurious in its interiors, so that is not the issue here.
It will be interesting to learn when the first vegan-ordered Rolls-Royce will be delivered. This may happen once the brand launches its first electric vehicles, which might attract new customers to the Goodwood marque.
As Rolls-Royce's CEO explained in an interview with the Brits at Autocar, the company is ready to respond to customer requests when they decide to switch away from their hide. In theory, if all Rolls-Royce customers would stop ordering their cars without leather starting tomorrow, the company could make the switch to leather-free interiors.
Back in 2017, we reported that Bentley was exploring leatherless options. The goal at that point was to see what materials can be employed in a luxury-appointed interior without the use of leather. Synthetic materials seemed to be the best answer, but they need to be sustainably sourced to justify their existence.
Bentley experimented with a material that was called Vegea, and it was a vegan leather made out of grape stalks, seeds, and skins.
The Swedes at Volvo have developed a fabric named Nordico, made from recycled materials, which is the company's proposal for those interested in sustainable vehicle interiors. Mercedes also chose to use recycled materials to obtain new fabrics and textures inside its vehicles. The seven-time World Champion in Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, requested the brand to offer vegan leather options.
Since Rolls-Royce is part of the BMW Group, which already offers vegan leather options in its cars, the British marque has a starting point for such options. Moreover, we are convinced that Rolls-Royce can make any material feel luxurious in its interiors, so that is not the issue here.
It will be interesting to learn when the first vegan-ordered Rolls-Royce will be delivered. This may happen once the brand launches its first electric vehicles, which might attract new customers to the Goodwood marque.