Valuedriven

Greg Rust, Shane Jacobson and VACC CEO Geoff Gwilym – the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) is our Victorian counterpart – have interviewed quite a few famous faces on THE GRILLE podcast – Jeremy Clarkson, David Brabham, Mick Doohan, Molly Taylor and Daniel Ricciardo to name a few.

It’s got me thinking about another big name: Sir Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton is a seven-time Formula One world champion. He also happens to be the most famous vegan in the automotive world.

The rise of veganism – and awareness of the philosophies behind it – is driven by figures like Hamilton and it goes way beyond the kitchen table. For example, there has never been so much choice when it comes to vegan and sustainable car interiors. More and more vehicle manufacturers are branching out and offering alternatives to traditional leather.

Back in 2019, Tesla announced the interior of its Model 3 was “100 per cent leather-free”. Now, they’ve had a few issues with quality control but that’s another story. Last year, Volvo announced all its cars would be completely leather-free by 2030.

Other marques are heading down the same track – looking at velour, leather-like performance material, faux-suede and more.

A while back WhichCar did an animal-friendly round-up. Most major manufacturers have at least one ‘vegan-friendly’ car option already, with Ford well and truly topping the list with 28 models offering animal-free interiors. Honda took second place with 20 and Nissan had 19 vegan-friendly models.

The industry is constantly evolving and adapting, and I love to see it.

What’s next?