Renault Drives Into a Leather-Free Future Following Talks with PETA France
For Immediate Release:
July 15, 2025
Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382
Leading auto manufacturer Renault will eliminate the use of animal leather across its entire range of vehicles by the end of 2025, following talks with PETA France, which shared its Vegan Car Interior Survey showing a trend toward animal-free car interiors amid growing consumer demand.
“It’s impossible to have a relaxed, luxurious ride with the weight of animal suffering and environmental pollution on board,” says James Fraser, Senior Corporate Liaison at PETA France. “By choosing cruelty-free materials, Renault is helping spare clever cows, reduce its carbon footprint, and prove that compassion and innovation go hand-in-hand.”
More than 1 billion animals are killed every year in the global leather industry, and, on average, it takes the hides of three cows or bulls to cover the interior of a standard-sized car. A PETA exposé of suppliers to the largest leather processor in the world revealed that calves are branded with hot irons on their faces, and gentle cows and bulls are electrocuted and beaten before being slaughtered. The leather industry is also a major contributor to climate change, land devastation, deforestation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.
Renault recently released its new models: the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric, Symbioz and Rafale, which all feature seats made from recycled materials and eco-friendly interior fabrics that remove plastic waste from landfills. PETA urges other automakers to follow Renault’s compassionate lead and create a world where ethical choices are the standard.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
