No fully leather-free (vegan) option being planned for the Model 3

[wbhokie]

Sure, but that's exactly what I tried. I don't expect them to modify it after being built. I called right after configuring and was told that they couldn't request it, and I had to wait for my IDA to be assigned (and they verified with a supervisor). I pointed out that the car would already be built by that time, and that I'd need to wait for another car to be built. They said, yep, that's the process.

Now my IDA says no vegan option available, even if I wait for a new vehicle to be built. Again, verified by a supervisor.

I guess they don't offer it on a 3? Though the call may have said otherwise. I have only heard about it on the S/X

 

[clmason]

otherwise I'll be canceling my reservation.

Just curious what your alternative plan is?

 

[Electric700]

Sure, but that's exactly what I tried. I don't expect them to modify it after being built. I called right after configuring and was told that they couldn't request it, and I had to wait for my IDA to be assigned (and they verified with a supervisor). I pointed out that the car would already be built by that time, and that I'd need to wait for another car to be built. They said, yep, that's the process.

Now my IDA says no vegan option available, even if I wait for a new vehicle to be built. Again, verified by a supervisor.

But the steering wheel, seats and armrests are all synthetic leather, correct? They try to make it look like the real thing I believe.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Sure, but that's exactly what I tried. I don't expect them to modify it after being built. I called right after configuring and was told that they couldn't request it, and I had to wait for my IDA to be assigned (and they verified with a supervisor). I pointed out that the car would already be built by that time, and that I'd need to wait for another car to be built. They said, yep, that's the process.

Now my IDA says no vegan option available, even if I wait for a new vehicle to be built. Again, verified by a supervisor.

With so many third party suppliers I doubt that any car company can guarantee that their cars are vegan. Animal products are often used in the production of many rubber parts.

 

[wbhokie]

With so many third party suppliers I doubt that any car company can guarantee that their cars are vegan. Animal products are often used in the production of many rubber parts.

Very true. Usually they are only referring to the upholstery when they say that. And the luxury dealers that have started to offer "faux leather" usually do not offer it on the steering wheels. With my wife being vegan, I've discussed this at length with many companies. I even mentioned earlier that if you did it on the Model X, you lose the heated steering wheel capability.

For instance, Jaguar had lower models of their F-Pace with Cloth seats, and higher end models with Leather, but you couldn't get a high end model (with all the options) with cloth seats, even if you paid them for the leather and said swap it out. They just said no.

You can go and get aftermarket products, but you still do pay the car companies for their original products to begin with. It's hard to send a message that way, and was hard to get my wife to compromise! Still makes me chuckle to think she "settled" on a Model X. #firstworldproblems

 

[Long Ranger]

But the steering wheel, seats and armrests are all synthetic leather, correct? They try to make it look like the real thing I believe.

The seats and trim, yes, they are "premium engineered" polyurethane. However the steering wheel wrap is real leather. A lot of Tesla employees don't know that, but they'll confirm it once they look into it. I was trying to get a Model 3 with a synthetic steering wheel wrap so that my vegan wife doesn't have to grip an animal hide. I didn't mean to imply that I'm attempting to get a 100% vegan car.

 

[jeremyz]

When I test drove the Performance Model 3 last Friday, I asked about the vegan steering wheel availability. Luckily, the person who went with me on my test drive was vegan; consequently, he was very interested to find out about the non-leather steering wheel. He sent the videos that I attached in post 35 of this thread to his district manager. I would guess that got escalated a couple of times since it took a while to hear back. He told me that the non-leather steering wheel should be available for the Model 3 in the beginning of 2019.

 

[Delzur]

He told me that the non-leather steering wheel should be available for the Model 3 in the beginning of 2019.

Did something change since this?
With the announce of the SR (which seem to have never existed) I hoped to hear more about a non-leather steering wheel.

I could not find anything official on that matter, apart from PETA asking tesla on a shareholder meeting... With no clear answer

 

[JoshNYC]

Interesting. So on a related note, I'm possibly allergic/sensitive to something in the vegan leather. Been trying to track down exact cause. I'm never had an issue with real leather. Would love to know who makes the polyurethane materials that they use. So there's that.

 

[Magnets!]

Interesting. So on a related note, I'm possibly allergic/sensitive to something in the vegan leather. Been trying to track down exact cause. I'm never had an issue with real leather. Would love to know who makes the polyurethane materials that they use. So there's that.

www.ultrafabricsinc.com. Note they state:

• OEM VOC compliance
• 100% free of PVC, HFR's, and plasticizers, with no off gassing

 

[JoshNYC]

www.ultrafabricsinc.com. Note they state:

• OEM VOC compliance
• 100% free of PVC, HFR's, and plasticizers, with no off gassing

Interesting. Is this a guess or confirmed? Source?

 

[dwolvin]

Weird that this is still going on, my wheel is the same material as the door handles, it doesn't feel leather in the slightest. When did the wheels go to leather (Mine is 14 months old)?

 

[BluestarE3]

Weird that this is still going on, my wheel is the same material as the door handles, it doesn't feel leather in the slightest. When did the wheels go to leather (Mine is 14 months old)?

That's the same impression I have as well. The steering wheel material looks and feels the same as the material elsewhere in the car. So, if the wheel is covered in real leather, then the rest of the car must be leather as well. But we know the rest of the car isn't covered in real leather, so...

 

[Magnets!]

Interesting. Is this a guess or confirmed? Source?

Can't be certain. It was posted on another forum in reference to best way to clean the vegan leather.

 

[JoshNYC]

Can't be certain. It was posted on another forum in reference to best way to clean the vegan leather.

Yeah, I saw that too. But sounds like speculation.

 

[coleAK]

There is no way, 100% no way you can get a fully vegan car. Not a Tesla, or anything, even a Prius. Most rubber has steric acid from animal fat Michelin and Nokian are using palm oil for vegan tires but all the gaskets, seals, wiring, ... no way they are all vegan. Also plastic washers, o-rings, shims, spacers, bushings most have slip agents in the polymers that came from animal fat. Heck you can’t currently buy vegan bike Tires in the USA or vegan shifter cables, plastic bushings. Also you can’t own a vegan cat since they are obligate carnivores.

Here is a serious question. If the primary reason the animal dies is for meat. Then they use the other pats (bone, hoof, fat, skin,...) for something else like rubber seals for a car instead of it going to waste? Do you care as much about not using the products made from the residual non-meat products since the primary reason the animal dies is for meat?

 

[Delzur]

Weird that this is still going on, my wheel is the same material as the door handles, it doesn't feel leather in the slightest. When did the wheels go to leather (Mine is 14 months old)?

That's the same impression I have as well. The steering wheel material looks and feels the same as the material elsewhere in the car. So, if the wheel is covered in real leather, then the rest of the car must be leather as well. But we know the rest of the car isn't covered in real leather, so...

It was implied in many places and in an annual meeting. Also, people from various forums asked the salesman which replied that there was no non-leather option for the steering wheel.

Extract from the meeting:
Tesla's Leather-Free Model Y Will Give You Hope for a Sustainable Future

There is no way, 100% no way you can get a fully vegan car.

Indeed, this is probably not doable right now, However the thread is mostly about leather-free here, which is certainly doable.

Here is a serious question. If the primary reason the animal dies is for meat. Then they use the other pats (bone, hoof, fat, skin,...) for something else like rubber seals for a car instead of it going to waste? Do you care as much about not using the products made from the residual non-meat products since the primary reason the animal dies is for meat?

Note, answer focused on cows only. Some animals ARE killed primarily for other stuff than meat:
The point is, every byproduct generates revenue and makes killing cows profitable (or meat dirt cheap). So in a more indirect way than eating meat, it's participating. I might also add that offer/demand on leather can make it a product, and not anymore a byproduct if the demand exceeds the offer coming from meat industry. Also, refusing it, I think, will help market/research for more eco-friendly materials.

-----------------

In any case, if you guys seem to agree that you have the same material for both the wheel and seats, maybe this is the case then. Does the user manual gives hint about how to clean seats and steering wheel? Might be a "proof". That would be very nice for Tesla to clearly close that issue with a definitive answer

 

[Lasairfion]

What if they grow the leather in labs? That's what they're doing with steaks now. Leather could be next!

 

[Delzur]

What if they grow the leather in labs? That's what they're doing with steaks now. Leather could be next!

Well, if it's eco-friendly, safe, doesn't require animal exploitation and results in a good material, why not. I doubt this will happen anytime soon (or at all), just like for steaks. (Last time I checked it was 100 000$ for a steak, and it's not useful whatsoever)

Anyway, debating this is way beyond the subject here I suppose!

 

[coleAK]

It was implied in many places and in an annual meeting. Also, people from various forums asked the salesman which replied that there was no non-leather option for the steering wheel.

Extract from the meeting:
Tesla's Leather-Free Model Y Will Give You Hope for a Sustainable Future



Indeed, this is probably not doable right now, However the thread is mostly about leather-free here, which is certainly doable.



Note, answer focused on cows only. Some animals ARE killed primarily for other stuff than meat:
The point is, every byproduct generates revenue and makes killing cows profitable (or meat dirt cheap). So in a more indirect way than eating meat, it's participating. I might also add that offer/demand on leather can make it a product, and not anymore a byproduct if the demand exceeds the offer coming from meat industry. Also, refusing it, I think, will help market/research for more eco-friendly materials.

-----------------

In any case, if you guys seem to agree that you have the same material for both the wheel and seats, maybe this is the case then. Does the user manual gives hint about how to clean seats and steering wheel? Might be a "proof". That would be very nice for Tesla to clearly close that issue with a definitive answer

The steric acid and anti slip agents mostly come from cows, pretty much all of it from cow, lamb, pig. So how is that differant than leather? If anything many more animals are killed to make the rubber in a car than the leather. So is the dead cow you can touch more important than the dead cow in your wiper blades, covering your CV joints, steering rack, electricial plugs, and surrounding parts of the duct work for the air passing through for the climate control? I’m not anti vegan just trying to figure out how you draw the line. To me not buying a car because 1 cow died for the steering wheel but ignoring the many cows that died for the parts unseen dosnt make sense.

And palm oil tires and rubber are a whole different debate as palm farms are wiping out the great ape population in China due to the increased demand for palm oil over animal steric acid.