RIVIAN VEGAN LEATHER - Car & Driver - March 2022

[ESTRUCK]

Car & Driver 3/2022

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[sub]

Does anyone else think that the term "vegan leather" is terrible branding?

Vegan XXX is never even remotely similar to XXX. Even if it tastes fine, it is a huge disappointment when you are hoping it would be similar to the product they claim it is meant to replace.

I love the fake leather seats in my Tesla. I like it a lot more than any of the real leather seats I had previously. I expect that Rivian's seats will be lovely as well. But including the word vegan in the product name makes it sound like an inferior imitation.

They need branding like Alcantara. When you hear that you don't think "sub-par fake suede", you think "ohh that is a nice material".

 

[ESTRUCK]

I test drove the R1T a few months ago and the VEGAN LEATHER seating was very comfy, stylish and seemed very durable.

 

[stickyfingers]

Does anyone else think that the term "vegan leather" is terrible branding?

Vegan XXX is never even remotely similar to XXX. Even if it tastes fine, it is a huge disappointment when you are hoping it would be similar to the product they claim it is meant to replace.

I love the fake leather seats in my Tesla. I like them a lot more than any of the real leather seats I had previously. I expect that Rivian's seats will be lovely as well. But including the word vegan in the product name makes it sound like an inferior imitation.

They need branding like Alcantara. When you hear that you don't think "sub-par fake suede", you think "ohh that is a nice material".

Can't be the Alcantara in a Porsche - amazing material.

 

[moosehead]

Gotta slaughter a ton of nauga's to make that rich corynthian naugahyde.

 

[sevengroove]

Does anyone else think that the term "vegan leather" is terrible branding?

Vegan XXX is never even remotely similar to XXX. Even if it tastes fine, it is a huge disappointment when you are hoping it would be similar to the product they claim it is meant to replace.

I love the fake leather seats in my Tesla. I like them a lot more than any of the real leather seats I had previously. I expect that Rivian's seats will be lovely as well. But including the word vegan in the product name makes it sound like an inferior imitation.

They need branding like Alcantara. When you hear that you don't think "sub-par fake suede", you think "ohh that is a nice material".

I agree with the less than ideal branding, but for different reasons than the ones you cite. I actually think that "vegan" is right on point because there is no other word that can better communicate the idea that the product is animal free. Even an uninformed audience (as it relates to vehicles or materials) will know immediately what a vegan seat material means.

To your point about associating with an inferior product, I don't think the word vegan is the problem. It's the word "leather". That's the word that creates an expectation that it is supposed to be an animal product, and it goes downhill from there. If they had stuck with vegan and changed the second word (to I dunno, luxe or fabric or some non-animal sounding material) it would have worked a lot better IMO.

 

[mgc0216]

Vegan leather is actually perfect branding in my mind. It communicates exactly what the consumer should expect. Some material that has the feel and quality of leather (and isn't a "cheap" cloth interior"), but is produced without harming any animals.

To me "vegan" doesn't imply "inferior" - but I also don't eat a lot of vegan stuff, so maybe it would if I had because I know every time someone offers me gluten free anything that should be made with flour I immediately vomit a little bit in my mouth because that has never turned out well.

 

[Engi_Nerd]

Modern branding is all about buzzwords. People associate "vegan" with being cruelty free and to a lesser degree, eco-conscious and "leather" sounds expensive and luxurious. While I applaud and appreciate removing animal products from vehicles, the polyurethane materials that Tesla and Rivian use are still plastic, are absolutely not eco-friendly, and are still loaded with VOCs that are bad for your health. I do love how easy Tesla seats are to clean, but would personally pay a bit more for a high quality cloth seat option that is breathable and more recyclable.

 

[zefram47]

They say vegan leather because calling a pig a pig apparently doesn't work. It's vinyl...just call it vinyl and own it. But they won't do that because the modern vinyl materials are not as crappy as what we had in the 80s.

My 4Runner has the vinyl seating that Toyota calls SofTex. The worst part about that material is that they didn't put any holes in it for ventilation, so in the summer on the trails the swamp ass is real. That's what made me decide that the Adventure trim is critical for my Rivian, just to get the ventilated seats. Otherwise, the seats are plenty comfortable and most don't realize it's not leather. Bonus...they're really easy to clean after the dogs muddy them up.

 

[bwoodahl]

... It's vinyl...just call it vinyl and own it. But they won't do that because the modern vinyl materials are not as crappy as what we had in the 80s. ...

hah, Ford uses "Marine-Grade Vinyl" in the Bronco. Maybe they get some credit for using the word vinyl.

 

[AdamsFan1983]

Does anyone else think that the term "vegan leather" is terrible branding?

Vegan XXX is never even remotely similar to XXX. Even if it tastes fine, it is a huge disappointment when you are hoping it would be similar to the product they claim it is meant to replace.

I love the fake leather seats in my Tesla. I like it a lot more than any of the real leather seats I had previously. I expect that Rivian's seats will be lovely as well. But including the word vegan in the product name makes it sound like an inferior imitation.

They need branding like Alcantara. When you hear that you don't think "sub-par fake suede", you think "ohh that is a nice material".

Personally, I've never watched Vegan XXX but, you have my attention.

 

[R1T7777]

hah, Ford uses "Marine-Grade Vinyl" in the Bronco. Maybe they get some credit for using the word vinyl.

Marine grade sounds tough though...

 

[shamoo]

Can't be the Alcantara in a Porsche - amazing material.

Pretty sure all "alcantara" is the same. I have a GT3 with alcantara almost everywhere and while it looks nice, I know it is still mostly a buzz word. It is nice because it offers you grip. It is synthetic and therefore cheaper than suede. But since it is marketable, manufacturers can charge you more for it. The roof/pillars of my BMW X5M are also alcantara.. Does it look cool? Sure but does it need to be? Nope. It was part of an options package that wasn't insignificant in cost.

From a racecar perspective, it keeps you in your seat and your hands (gloves) on the wheel when you're on the track. In a day to day driving perspective, it isn't as good. It doesn't wear well, and worn alcantara looks terrible. If you don't maintain it often, once it gets to a certain point, there's no coming back. You deal with the way it looks forever, or you replace it.

 

[RforRivian]

I don't have time to read the article.

Does it state how many vegans it actually takes to make a vegan interior? Does it come exclusively from vegan organ donors?


Also, regarding the discussion of wether "vegan leather" is bad marketing... I think there is room for improvement.

 

[dleepnw]

gotta admit, i like steak and real leather. "Don't give me all that shy shit. No make-up on, that's my..."

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