Comments on: Would You Buy an Electric Car With Leather Seats?

By: meandmyself

meandmyself — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 11:42:40 +0000

Are people going to eat the seats?

By: James

James — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 12:24:57 +0000

I just noticed Martin’s comment, must have missed that before. I could have sworn that I’d seen USA reviews referring to the seats as faux leather. When I’ve looked at dealers websitea over here (UK) it always says “leather” but I’d assumed that there would be a faux option. Like I said above, I won’t be buying new anyway, but that’d be a deal-breaker if I was going to.

By: James

James — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 12:16:07 +0000

Hi all, not sure if others will agree but my thinking on the pollution of electric vehicles is (re: that article about hybrids vs hummers) is that it’s taken over 100 years for the internal combustion engine (ICE) to become as ‘efficient’ as it is today. Electric vehicles produced today may be comparable to the pollution etc of an ICE but buying these vehicles is also showing a demand and investing in development of more efficient production of theae vehicles, so for the long game it’s going to be much better for the environment. And as most of us vegans are thinking of the long game of sustainability I think your conscience can be clear. So there are advantages to buying first hand but I’ve always bought 2nd hand (can’t afford new).

With regards to both production pollution and the leather, if you buy 2nd hand then you create no additional demand for the initial production damage (that footprint belings to the 1st buyer), including for the leather, so your conscience can be clear.

So whether you buy new or used, your conscience can be clear as you’re playing a part in the overall goal of decreasing pollution and waste, even though more militant vegans might not think so.

Even with an ICE, I calculated that buying second hand means you can drive around for a long time before producing the same pollution as any new car. For this reason I bought an old Porsche boxster with the intention of converting this to electric. It’s light and has the engine space to install all the electric motor and associated parts (several have been converted to EV on youtube, I was hoping to get my production demand down to 0 by getting an EV motor together from parta of written-off Leafs). Sadly I don’t have the time or indeed any experience in taking cars apart or putting EV motora together so I have been waiting for the cost of conversion to drop, and had hoped it would have done so more sharply than it has so I’m still driving it around, with the ICE 2 years later but hopefully soon I’ll be able to get it done, but even so I calculated that I could drive it for over 10 years before producing the same pollution as buying a new car of any kind. For those interested in doing something similar it’s currently £12-15k to convert (i.e. About twice as much as buying a second hand leaf) so currently I can’t afford it (the car was only £4k), I’m thinking of tearing the engine out and selling it then starting it as a project, but that would mean getting another car to get to work in the meantime.

Sorry, went a bit off-topic there, in reviews I’ve seen for the Leaf some people had referred to the leather as ‘Faux’ so I’m not sure if they were misled or if some dealers offer this? I don’t buy anything with new leather (demand) but have had cars with leather seats, the way I see it, as terrible as the production costs were to the animal, it doesn’t reduce that to theiw the leather seats out and have non-leather ones produced, it just means further waste. Like I said, I’m sure many won’t agree but I feel that being conscientious isn’t always about what you own if use, but whether you played a part in what created the denand. It’s like if someone killed a chicken and told me another would be killed if I didn’t eat it, I’d eat it, it wouldn’t make a difference to that chicken but would make a hell of a difference to the other one, it’s the long-game again.

By: Emme Fierra

Emme Fierra — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 22:18:44 +0000

I just talk to a sales guy at my local Toyota…the dude did not even know what VEGAN means…the world has a LONG way to go…People need to keep pushing for Vegan Options or it will not happen as the cheapest answer with the most “prestige” for the consumer and “profit” for the manufacturer will still rein supreme. Sad…

By: Claud

Claud — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 01:58:09 +0000

I’m a Vegan which = REAL leather is no good. If it’s real; It’s the flesh of another being. Somebody screamed to the top of their lungs for their flesh=that flesh belongs on that being. I do not participate in torture and cruelty to animals. I’m Trying to research if it’s synthetic. Synthetic is Good. It’s not about 8 billion people doing the right thing. It’s about you as an individual doing the right thing and not participating in the Animal Holocaust. That’s how the abolitionists stopped human slavery and abolition of the use/cruelty/torture to animals is how we will STOP the Animal Holocaust.
I can’t do everything but I can do something. I will NOT give a nickel or a dime to animal cruelty/torture/slavery anyone who does is participating and funding a monstrous act against other Sentient Beings. You did not choose to be a human and they did not choose to be an animal. What humans forget is that humans too are Animals. You do not put a value on another Sentient Beings Life–ONLY THEY KNOW THE VALUE Of THEIR OWN LIVES.
ENOUGH!

By: Claud

Claud — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 01:55:48 +0000

I’m a Vegan which = REAL leather is no good. If it’s real; It’s the flesh of another being. Somebody screamed to the top of their lungs for their flesh=that flesh belongs on that being. I do not participate in torture and cruelty to animals. I’m Trying to research if it’s synthetic. Synthetic is Good. It’s not about 8 billion people doing the right thing. It’s about you as an individual doing the right thing and not participating in the Animal Holocaust. That’s how the abolitionists stopped human slavery and abolition of the use/cruelty/torture to animals is how we will STOP the Animal Holocaust.
I can’t do everything but I can do something. I will NOT give a nickel or a dime to animal cruelty/torture/slavery anyone who does is participating and funding a monstrous act against other Sentient Beings. You did not choose to be a human and they did not choose to be an animal. What humans forget is that humans too are Animals. You do not put a value in another Sentient Beings Life–ONLY THEY KNOW THE VALUE Of THEIR OWN LIVES.
ENOUGH!

By: Martin

Martin — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 21:24:46 +0000

It totally sucks that pretty much every new electric car available has a leather steering wheel these days: Nissan, BMW, Kia, SmartCar. It is extremely frustrating. I was very excited about buying an electric car. But as a vegan for 30 years I won’t buy an e-car with leather parts. I don’t understand the marketting intent. In Europe all of those vehicles mentioned are available without leather. Why are there wlayas so few options in America and what is supposed to be the appeal to someone buying an electric car of leather interiors? Is it some kind of balance? The need to chop down a few rain forest trees or put a few animals through some torture to pay for the splendidly good and modern idea of an electric car?

Martin

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 23:47:03 +0000

Exciting update. After not wanting to buy a LEAF due to the leather steering wheel, we started looking at PRIUS. We were very close to buying, but with the help of my brother-in-law, we contacted another Nissan dealer and asked about replacing the leather steering wheel. This is probably the ONLY dealership that would say “Yes, we can do that”. They even made the modification before we signed or paid for the car! We are SO happy with our leather-free LEAF!!!

By: Susan Sitaraman

Susan Sitaraman — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 23:34:29 +0000

Same with me. The leather steering wheel is a deal breaker. We were on our way to buy a Leaf tonight and found out no solution to the leather steering wheel.
Nissan please offer a non-leather, non-heated steering wheel on the S model.

By: Jamie Pehling

Jamie Pehling — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 21:55:49 +0000

Per my local Nissan dealer, the Nissan Leaf comes with a leather covered steering wheel in all trim levels. No options, you just get a leather covered steering wheel, period.

Obviously this will be disappointing to vegans and goes beyond the question of leather v. nonleather seats. For the steering wheel, there is no vegan choice! Per the dealer, the limitation is connected to the need to cover the heated steering wheel with nonsynthetic material. I don’t understand why a heated steering wheel is important in any case.

The upshot is I’ll be waiting for a vegan option.

By: vegannibal

vegannibal — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:46:46 +0000

http://onemansblog.com/2007/03/27/prius-outdoes-hummer-in-environmental-damage/

This would be what Adam was referring to, I think.

By: diana allen - eat to evolve

diana allen - eat to evolve — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:22:12 +0000

The new Prius C comes in a luxury option featuring not leather, but genuine leatherette seats! Guess somebody in their R & D department understands what vegan-friendly means. Thank you, Toyota!

Find Eat to Evolve on Facebook – join the r/evolution!

By: Lane

Lane — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:25:47 +0000

In reply to Adam.

Hi Adam

Please share your thoughts as to why electric cars are not good for health or environment or economy…

Mmmmm… Nana’s eggplant parm sounds yummy! I had some vegan eggplant parm at Whole Foods for lunch yesterday. OK, so it’s been a long time since I’ve had the real thing, but it was reminiscent of real eggplant parm… well at least that’s what my brain’s telling me…

By: Adam

Adam — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:34:36 +0000

Hello fellow vegans and conscious consumers ! =)

Nevermind leather seats !,

ELECTRIC CARS ARE NOT GOOD FOR HEALTH OR ENVIORNMENT OR ECONOMY

So, my quick comment, I wouldnt buy an electric car LOL

as for the leather, Id rather buy a used car with leather seats than an electric car without.

I could go into the reasons, but Im sure there are a few other thinkers out there;
Ill leave it to them and discussion.

10 year vegan (except when my 100% Italian Nana make eggplant parmesan =)
OH, and canola oil is NOT a food, its a nasty man made cash crop or simply poison.
Earth ‘balance’ is NASTY and the vice president admitted he knows its bad “but it sells”.
ORGANIC is CRUCIAL for ALL living things, even life without eyes =)

PEACE