Tesla Launches All-Vegan Version of Model X, PETA Is Ecstatic

Vegan customers now have a high-end interior option for the Model X.

The fully vegan description refers to the synthetic leather used on the seats, steering wheel and on the gear selector. At the company’s annual meeting in June a year ago, PETA urged Tesla to offer vegan leather for the interiors of its vehicles, with CEO Elon Musk stating that he would “absolutely” consider it.

The timing of PETA’s press release, however, is interesting, according to Tesla, as the company is claiming that it has always offered its customers with non-leather options for its electric vehicles.

In an interview with a Tesla spokesperson, Business Insider asked Tesla for a response to PETA’s release.

“We find that customers enjoy both leather and non-leather options for their Teslas”, a company spokeswoman told the Times.

When reached again for comment by Business Insider, PETA clarified that Tesla had only previously offered a synthetic cloth interior at a lower level than the faux leather now offered.

The answer, at least for the new Model X crossover, is to specify the “Ultra White” interior, which is fitted with vegan-friendly faux leather.

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The new seating option goes a step further, as the company says, redefining “luxury interiors by using these vegan materials”.

When we called PETA, they offered some clarification. While some automakers are staying firm in their leather-only approach to interior treatments, others such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Acura are making strides towards animal free interiors. PETA added that the cows being slaughtered for leather suffer through branding, dehorning, tail-docking and castration, without being administered painkillers.

PETA points out that as well as the ethical concerns about killing animals, the process of producing leather is resource intensive, using 15,000 gallons of water per ton of hides as well as toxic chemicals.