"Animal welfare" aiming for a breeding environment with less stress for livestock = In response to the growing awareness of animal welfare in Europe and the United States, among automobile manufacturers, the seats of luxury cars are not made of genuine leather. , The movement to use materials derived from plants has begun to appear.
Of these, Toyota Motor is an EV = electric vehicle model of the luxury car brand "Lexus" to be sold after this winter, and uses materials using plant-derived fibers such as sugar cane for the seats and handles.
Genuine leather is often used in luxury cars, but as awareness of animal welfare is increasing in Europe and the United States, we aim to attract consumers who sympathize with it by switching to plant-derived materials.
Tsuyoshi Watanabe, chief engineer, said, "I think that things that lead to symbiosis, coexistence, and'sustainability'will lead to the value of luxury."
Among overseas manufacturers, Swedish manufacturer Volvo Car will use recycled wine cork instead of genuine leather in all models in 2030, and German BMW and Mercedes-Benz will also use books in some models. We do not use leather and are researching alternatives.
With growing awareness of animal welfare, the fashion industry is moving to refrain from using fur, but it could spread to cars as well.