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An
influential car review channel recently presented a challenge for car CEOs to
move away from the prevalent use of animal skin in high-end vehicles. Thomas Majchrzak released a video on
Autogefühl where he asked car CEOs to switch from leather interiors to the many
cruelty-free, more sustainable alternatives.
Thomas
Majchrzak is the talented journalist behind Autogefühl, a popular review site
with over three million views per month. The channel is all about helping
people get more out of driving and experiencing cars. It has a focus on
beautiful, fast cars. Car enthusiasts rely on its honest reviews and high
quality journalism to help them stay in the know and choose the right cars. That
makes this challenge directed toward car CEOs all that more powerful.
In
his video, which has already
received more than 23,000 views in only a couple of weeks, Thomas throws down
his challenge in no uncertain terms. He states that he expects car CEOs to
change the use of animal skin in cars. He speaks to the fact that his review
channel is a global community that does in-depth car reviews each year, and he
knows what people want. Fortunately, that is no longer leather interiors.
He
spoke of common misconceptions about leather in cars, saying, “The use of
animal skin in cars should belong to the past. Using leather in cars is perceived
as pure luxury, but is it really? It’s also been said that it’s just the waste
product of the meat industry. That is factually wrong. You could say an animal
is good for the neck first, then the other parts don’t count. That doesn’t make
any sense. So, when you buy leather, you directly support the factory farming
industry. You give them your money, and you are supporting that. They are
tortured and killed.”
Thomas
also recently talked to Plant Based News
about his challenge, stating, “The message I have for the car CEOs is actually
that you should start thinking about whether it’s necessary to put animal skin
on the seat. There are so many different options we have nowadays.”
He
went on to explain, “I really want more of the sustainable technologies for car
seats. There is so much available – like fabric and leatherette – and I really
want the CEOs to think about how much cruelty is involved with animal skin
production. You cannot do it without harm, and we really need to change that.”
Thomas
also denies that he is “some crazy environmentalist”, stating that it’s just “the
thought of logic, heart, and empathy.” He implores people to look at how animal
skin is produced, explaining how it always involves the suffering of animals,
people, and for the planet.
He
also calls out the hypocrisy of some sustainability moves among car companies. “So,
if you think about sustainability, an electric car with leather seats doesn’t
make sense. That would be like ordering alcohol-free beer and a liquor. That’s how
you could compare it.”
Thomas
lamented that car CEOS, when inviting media to events, always show the highest
spec with the animal skin interior. That’s not ideal for many reasons,
including the fact that it’s expensive for the customer, and he states that
automobile journalists would rather use and test sustainable options.
Some
car companies are already making strides with non-leather options. Car
companies like Tesla and Mercedes-Benz offer leatherette and other options that
don’t use animal skin. However, he also states that the car companies that do
offer non-leather options don’t market the fact that they do. He thinks that’s
a mistake because he hears from car buyers all the time who don’t want animal
skin in their cars.
“If
your brand already has something like this, come forward with this and say that
you have something sustainable. Every day people are messaging me that they
don’t want leather seats any more. So please stop combining a high trim together
with animal skin equipment,” he challenged car CEOs.
He
doesn’t feel that he is extreme for what he asks, claiming that it is just
about empathy although people often misunderstand it. He said he’d rather sit
back, relax, and enjoy life. It would be easier to him, but when he sees such
cruelty involved with animal products, he thinks that the efforts that he does
is nothing in comparison to the suffering the animals endure. So, he said that
there are more important things and if he can have a little contribution to
make things better and save a couple of lives, then it is all worth it.
Ultimately,
Thomas concluded that switching to non-leather car interiors will be a win-win
situation for all. It will result in less suffering of animals, people, and the
overall planet.
Thomas
encourages others to help spread the word so that more car CEOs can see the
challenge video. You can watch the Plant Based News
interview
with Thomas and his original
video
to hear more of what this courageous and passionate journalist has to say. With
so many alternatives to the cruelly obtained animal skin interiors that cause
harm to the environment, why not make the switch to non-leather car interiors?
