What to look for in a New Car When You’re Vegan
Being vegan means navigating a world that’s not. There’s nothing where this is more evident than when you’re shopping; shopping for food, shopping for clothes, everything, even when shopping for a new car. There are plenty of things to look out for when purchasing a new car when you’re vegan, here are just a few of them.
Unfortunately buying a new car is never going to be 100% cruelty free and vegan. Of course you’ll want to avoid buying a car with a leather interior but there are many other factors to consider. Many of the cloth options available will have been treated with dyes made from animal products and even the steel and aluminium used to make the frame may have been lubricated using animal fat. Similarly the rubber and plastic used for the tyres and other components of a new car are often toughened using tallow.
Obviously, you’ll want to find a new car that doesn’t use leather. With many models, this may simply mean opting for the cheaper version with cotton or other lining rather than leather seats. Seats aside, you’ll also need to factor in the door lining and dashboard as well as lining of the boot and ceiling. If you like the look of leather and how easy it is to clean but not the cruelty, then you might want to opt for some classic vinyl instead. That being said, often the luxury or higher end models of a car automatically come with leather seats. Want the nicer stereo system or other tech? Sorry, that means a package that comes with the leather interior. You can either opt for the cheaper package, or you’ll need to find a car where you can individually specify which features you want, which will likely be even pricier than buying the luxury package.
However, some manufacturers are more accommodating than others. The latest Tesla now offers a vegan interior rather than leather (a good choice if you love cows as well as the earth). Lexus also offer vegan interiors with Sir Paul McCartney’s hybrid Lexus sporting Alcantara, a faux suede commonly used in clothing, aviation and interior design.
Better yet, it’s approved by PETA as cruelty-free. BMW also offers an Alcantara steering wheel as an optional extra on its M3. Like the Tesla and hybrid Lexus, the Toyota Prius also gives customers the option to go leather free. The BMW i3 which is fully electric boasts no leather as its standard and is also 95% recyclable.
Need new tyres? Opt for Michelin which use only vegetable and plant-based products in their manufacture. Kenda tyres also use refined tree oil in the place of stearic acid (an animal-derived fatty acid).
If, like most vegans you don’t have enough money to buy a BMW M3 or a new Tesla your best option for being cruelty-free is to buy a used vehicle instead of new. This means you don’t take on the burden of cruelty in the manufacturing process. Don’t shop, adopt!
This post is sponsored by Gumtree.
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