It is if you like to eat your white pleather seats.I love meat, and I also love my white pleather Tesla seats. Is that so wrong?
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It is if you like to eat your white pleather seats.I love meat, and I also love my white pleather Tesla seats. Is that so wrong?
How does that compare to the price of leather?
But one thing that does surprise me a bit is that Tesla does not say what its seat material is. I would have thought they would make that clear, so that a prospective buyer would know the seat is or is not leather in case that matters to them.
Lots of misinformation in this thread, as well as a lot of misconceptions. I am in the leather/vinyl/upholstery supply distribution business. My company is a supplier to the automotive aftermarket, marine, aircraft, and commercial markets. I grew up around fabrics and vinyls, and I know them very well.
I'm not here to change anybody's minds, but Tesla is spot on with this change.
First of all, let's talk about leather vs. vinyl. Vinyl technology has come a long way over the last 50 years, 25 years, and 10 years due to formulations, topcoats, and fabric backings. Over the last 10 years, vinyl technology has come so far that I could show you samples of vinyl and samples of genuine leather and you would swear the vinyl is genuine leather and genuine leather is really vinyl. Durability? You'd never believe how durable vinyl is today. Much more so than genuine leather, hands down. I could show you test after test that shows that on both the Martindale and Wyzenbeek durability tests an average vinyl would consistently beat a good leather.
Types of vinyl? Yes, there are now different types of vinyl. The Ultra white seats (which I have) are actually not your traditional PVC vinyl. They are actually Ultraleather, made by Ultrafabrics. This is a very high-end polyurethane-based vinyl. This is the top-of-the-line material on the market today. It is used in high-end spas, high-end custom cars, yachts, cruise ships, and many other high-traffic luxurious applications. You're lucky to be able to get a material this nice OEM in a vehicle. This stuff retails around $150/yard, and the street price is around $70/yard or so. It passes over 400,000 double rubs on the Wyzenbeek abrasion test. A good quality leather MAY pass around 25,000-50,000 (which is considered Heavy-Duty). Yes, that's a huge difference. Even a mediocre PVC vinyl will go 75,000 double rubs on a Wyzenbeek test. FYI- a double rub is denim material rubbed up and down the material (that's one double-rub). It simulates your butt sliding across the material.
So, the "vegan" aspect is a marketing move, but this is definitely a durability move. Leather does NOT hold up. Check out your leather seats in any other car you own, after about 75,000 miles, do you see the left side of the seat wearing (cracking, wrinkling, etc)? I guarantee you that the Ultraleather interior, as well as a standard PVC vinyl interior, will hold up much longer. If Tesla is going for the million mile mark on these cars, which they've said they are, this is clearly why they're making this move.
I'm happy to take any questions on interior components....
I would want to know for care purposes. If I think it's leather, I am probably going to be using a leather conditioner on it, when that might not be a good idea.
So you're saying the seats in my Tesla aren't made of the same vinyl as my Dad's (1969 Ford Country Squire) car when I was a kid? I hope not cause it got pretty hot on summer days
I was told when I purchased my car by my delivery specialist NOT to use a leather cleaner or conditioner on the Ultra white seats. Once he opened that can of worms, I spent another hour educating him on them....
Sort of.All protein originates from plants, it's not like cows create protein. It's the microbiota in their gut. Anyways, I just like the way a good steak tastes, but it's definitely not healthy for me =) So if all that meat has made you any smarter, you'll know it's not good for you
I suspect however that there will be at least some market resistance and delayed acceptance.
Thanks to Ahkahn for posts above, especially 58 & 62.
I suspect however that there will be at least some market resistance and delayed acceptance.
I made a set of theater seating style recliners a few years ago with top grain European leather and each hide was about $250. The leather was much higher quality than what you would find in almost any car and it works out to around the same price as the ultraleather product that was mentioned above. As a side note, real Alcantara has a street price of about $100 a yard.How does that compare to the price of leather?
i was curious about the environmental impact of synthetic.. because that will be the first place detractors look at looking at the total carbon footprint of the car. then i decided to look at your link and saw this:I'm happy to take any questions on interior components....
EARTH FRIENDLY
- GREENGUARD Certified
- Meets stringent VOC emission standards
- Promotes healthier indoor air quality
- Contributes to LEED™ and BIFMA level® credits
- Compliant with Prop65
- No Conflict Minerals
- No Flame Retardants (ex. Halogenated, Brominated)
- No PBDEs (Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers)
- No Plasticizers, Heavy Metals, Stabilizers, Phthalates or Bisphenol A (BPA)
- No POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants)
- No PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
- No toxic by-products
- Over 99% of solvents recaptured and recycled
For some reason "Naugahyde" came to mind. My parents had a sofa made of that stuff.
I always wondered "what the hell is a nauga?"