Tesla Model 3 Is Now Vegan

Car company Tesla has officially removed all leather from its Model 3 vehicles. “Model 3 interior is now 100-percent leather-free,” Tesla’s corporate Twitter account posted. In 2015, Tesla shareholders urged the company to offer vegan options, which it delivered later that year in the form of the “vegan ultra white” interior as a stock option in the Model X. By 2016, the company expanded the option to all of its models and began working on a leather-free steering wheel—the only part that could not previously be ordered vegan. At a June shareholders meeting, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed to animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that the Model 3 and Model Y would be fully vegan by 2020. Retired race car driver Leilani Münter snagged a new vegan wheel on Friday. “Excited to share my Model 3 steering wheel was swapped for the new leather-free wheel and retrofits are now available via Tesla mobile service,” Münter captioned a photo of the new wheel on Facebook. “Cost is $550 for wheel and [approximately] $50 service charge. The new cow-friendly wheel has a much nicer feel to it.” Last month, Porsche announced plans for its upcoming Taycan electric vehicle, which will include leather-free steering wheel and interior options.