Modify my car or have another one?

[mlod54]

I have an Audi A3 which runs well and is very fuel-efficient, however it has a leather steering wheel which I'm not happy about as I hate the feeling of it being the skin of a tortured and murdered cow and I don't want to promote leather! Would it be easy and cheap to get it changed for a different material even though the steering wheel has buttons on it? If so, how can I do this? There's also some leather on the gearstick and I'm not sure whether or not there's other leather in the interior or if it's all different materials. Alternatively, can anyone recommend a good alternative car in the UK? What do you drive? I want something with a high mpg and decent engine size or maybe a hybrid but I can't find any leather-free cars other than bangers or expensive new ones that are customised. It seems very hard to find out whether or not there's anything suitable on the market though since leather-free cars are never advertised as such since that's deemed by most to be a bad thing! Why, when there are so many vegan options in supermarkets, is this so hard to find? Why does everyone else want a cow to have been tortured and murdered for their steering wheel?

 

[Lou]

Um... I don't think this is something to worry about.
First off lets talk about the ethics. I bought my car partly because it was one of the only makes and models on my short list that didn't have leather seats. However like most cars it has a leather steering wheel and gear shift . but I did (and still do) feel pretty good that it doesn't have leather seats. So I think you should feel very good about your car.

I think a modification would be dumb. Its not like you are going to save an animal by replacing a steering wheel. and what will you be able to do with the old one?

Now lets mention environment impact. New cars have a big impact based on their production. Its much better environmentally to keep an old car. Even if the old car doesn't have that great a mpg. It takes a long time for even an all electric or hybrid to break even based on the energy and materials that went into its production.

However, there "vegan cars" now.
We have a couple of thread on the subject.
Here is one

Vegan cars | Vegan Forum

 

[David3]

Now lets mention environment impact. New cars have a big impact based on their production. Its much better environmentally to keep an old car. Even if the old car doesn't have that great a mpg. It takes a long time for even an all electric or hybrid to break even based on the energy and materials that went into its production.

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This isn't true. I will present well-substantiated data later.
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[mlod54]

Um... I don't think this is something to worry about.
First off lets talk about the ethics. I bought my car partly because it was one of the only makes and models on my short list that didn't have leather seats. However like most cars it has a leather steering wheel and gear shift . but I did (and still do) feel pretty good that it doesn't have leather seats. So I think you should feel very good about your car.

I think a modification would be dumb. Its not like you are going to save an animal by replacing a steering wheel. and what will you be able to do with the old one?

Now lets mention environment impact. New cars have a big impact based on their production. Its much better environmentally to keep an old car. Even if the old car doesn't have that great a mpg. It takes a long time for even an all electric or hybrid to break even based on the energy and materials that went into its production.

However, there "vegan cars" now.
We have a couple of thread on the subject.
Here is one

Vegan cars | Vegan Forum

Thanks! I already binned my leather shoes, bags and briefcase because even though it won't bring back the animals that died for them, I don't want to promote leather and if I donated or sold them then that keeps them in circulation. Also I volunteer with Anonymous For The Voiceless than they are against using any leather at all. I suppose a car is a bit different because I can't simply put it in the bin, it's worth about £10k and like you say there's the environmental impact so disposing of a whole car because of the steering wheel and gearstick would be pretty radical. So if I sold it then someone else would be advertising it anyway.

My car does around 60-70mpg so definitely wouldn't be worth scrapping from an environmental perspective. Yep it's good about the seats! I had an accident recently and was given a free hire car for 3 weeks and it made me very angry that they gave me one with leather seats! If I ever need a hire car again I think I'll request one without and that's a good opportunity to have an interaction with someone about veganism and to make some of the moral arguments. In fact, I've been chatting to a few used car dealers today about the lack of vegan options and I took the opportunity to say that there's no justification to be paying for animals to be tortured and killed for an unnecessary purpose and that I'm sure more people would avoid leather if they saw videos of cows being killed so there's always hope that they will think about it and go vegan!

I'll be sure to find something leather-free when I do replace my car.

 

[David3]

My car does around 60-70mpg so definitely wouldn't be worth scrapping from an environmental perspective.

The Audi A3 fuel efficiency rating is 29 miles per gallon city, 38 mpg highway: 2022 Audi A3 | Luxury Sedan | Audi USA

I don't think that your 60-70 mpg number is accurate.

Do you mean 60 kilometers per gallon (rather than miles per gallon)?

 

[Symbiosis]

Why not electric?

Map of electric charging points for electric cars UK: Zapmap

 

[David3]

Its much better environmentally to keep an old car. Even if the old car doesn't have that great a mpg. It takes a long time for even an all electric or hybrid to break even based on the energy and materials that went into its production.

.
The above statements aren't accurate.

Per the U.S. Department of Energy, the full lifecycle ("cradle to grave") greenhouse gas emissions of an electric SUV are about half those of a conventional gasoline-powered SUV. This includes the GHG emissions from the mining, production, and eventual recycling/disposal of the electric SUV's batteries: FOTW #1208, Oct 18, 2021: Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions for a 2020 Electric Small SUV Were Half Those of a Conventional Gasoline Small SUV

In the United Kingdom (the OP's home), an electric SUV would emit even less greenhouse gas than in the United States, because the UK only generates 42% of its electricity from fossil fuels: National Grid: Live Status. In contrast, the U.S. generates about 60% of its electricity from fossil fuels: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

.

 

[Lou]

.
The above statements aren't accurate.

Per the U.S. Department of Energy, the full lifecycle ("cradle to grave") greenhouse gas emissions of an electric SUV are about half those of a conventional gasoline-powered SUV. This includes the GHG emissions from the mining, production, and eventual recycling/disposal of the electric SUV's batteries:

But what about everything else? body, motor, shipping of the car? you need to consider the whole car - not just the batteries.

However I will probably admit that buying a fully electric car does eventually have a positive effect.

 

[500channelsurfer]

I am with Lou. And not only as Lou said. But also the whole environmental impact, not only the GHG like the US Dept of Energy. There is the mining of the metal and the disposal of the toxic chemicals: What happens to the geographic area that is mined for the metals required to produce the car and the water table where the disposal or supposed recycling of batteries takes place, for example? GHG emissions entirely seperately, there could be deforestation and water pollution, etc.

 

[mlod54]

The Audi A3 fuel efficiency rating is 29 miles per gallon city, 38 mpg highway: 2022 Audi A3 | Luxury Sedan | Audi USA

I don't think that your 60-70 mpg number is accurate.

Do you mean 60 kilometers per gallon (rather than miles per gallon)?

I'm in the UK and I do mean miles

 

[LoreD]

I have an Audi A3 which runs well and is very fuel-efficient, however it has a leather steering wheel which I'm not happy about as I hate the feeling of it being the skin of a tortured and murdered cow and I don't want to promote leather! Would it be easy and cheap to get it changed for a different material even though the steering wheel has buttons on it? If so, how can I do this? There's also some leather on the gearstick and I'm not sure whether or not there's other leather in the interior or if it's all different materials. Alternatively, can anyone recommend a good alternative car in the UK? What do you drive? I want something with a high mpg and decent engine size or maybe a hybrid but I can't find any leather-free cars other than bangers or expensive new ones that are customised. It seems very hard to find out whether or not there's anything suitable on the market though since leather-free cars are never advertised as such since that's deemed by most to be a bad thing! Why, when there are so many vegan options in supermarkets, is this so hard to find? Why does everyone else want a cow to have been tortured and murdered for their steering wheel?

I don't think you need to change the steering wheel.


If you feel uncomfortable touching the leather; buy a steering wheel cover, so your hands don't touch it.

 

[Blues]

It seems it is only a cover /cosmetic feature. You might be able just to remove it.

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[David3]

I'm in the UK and I do mean miles

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You must have the hybrid version of the Audi A3.
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[mlod54]

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You must have the hybrid version of the Audi A3.
.

Nope it just uses Diesel, the advertised mpg is over 80!

 

[Lou]

Nope it just uses Diesel, the advertised mpg is over 80!

Cool! I think you ought to keep it.

 

[David3]

Nope it just uses Diesel, the advertised mpg is over 80!

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I concede your claims about 60 mpg:

Audi A3 (2024) mpg, costs & reliability

I apologize for my stubbornness.

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[Jamie in Chile]

Given the way you feel about it, I think you should make the effort to get rid it if it´s not too much hassle, assuming it doesn´t become extremely difficult. Failing that, putting a cover on it, but only if it´s much easier, it´s not exactly the same is it?

I see an opportunity for someone to setup a small business here in vegan steering wheel replacement.

If you do go for a new car now or one day, and are willing to consider electric, my Ioniq is the efficiency king!