

News
Volvo adopts Tesla’s ‘vegan leather’ stance for cruelty-free interiors
Volvo Cars has announced that it will be taking an ethical stand for animal welfare in its electric vehicles. On September 23rd, the Swedish automaker officially announced that every new fully-electric Volvo model will come with a completely leather-free interior, starting with the C40 Recharge.
In 2030, when Volvo’s entire fleet transitions to electric-only powertrains, every vehicle the automaker builds will be fitted with leather-free interiors for sustainability and animal welfare purposes. Currently, Volvo says it is “working actively to find high-quality and sustainable sources for many materials currently used in the wider car industry.” It has not yet found a supplier to handle its vegan interiors.
- C40 Recharge Interior (Credit: Volvo)
- C40 Recharge Interior (Credit: Volvo)
- C40 Recharge Interior (Credit: Volvo)
By 2025, Volvo says that it aims to have one-fourth of the materials found in new vehicles to consist of recycled and bio-based content. This is a part of the automaker’s plan to become a fully circular business by 2040. Additionally, the company says that its climate action plans will allow Volvo to “aim for all its immediate suppliers, including material suppliers, to use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025.”
Its primary focus for transitioning to cruelty-free interiors was based on the company’s concern of the negative environmental impacts of cattle farming and deforestation. “Livestock is estimated to be responsible for around 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, with the majority coming from cattle farming,” Volvo said in a press release. It will no longer offer leather interior options, and Volvo will offer customers comparable alternatives like high-quality sustainable materials made from bio-based and recycled sources.
“Being a progressive car maker means we need to address all areas of sustainability, not just CO2 emissions,” Director of Global Sustainability at Volvo Cars, Stuart Templar, said. “Responsible sourcing is an important part of that work, including respect for animal welfare. Going leather-free inside our pure electric cars is a good next step towards addressing this issue.”
Volvo will also look to reduce the use of plastics, rubber, lubricants, and adhesives to further subtract its footprint that requires livestock manipulation. “The company takes this step because it believes that while going leather-free is a step in the right direction, doing so alone does not make a car interior vegan,” the company added.
Volvo is effectively following in the footsteps of automakers like Tesla, which adopted vegan interiors in mid-2017. CEO Elon Musk confirmed in 2016 that Tesla would transition to animal-free interiors, making the company’s vehicles more sustainable than previously established.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with tips! Email us at tips@teslarati.com, or you can email me directly at joey@teslarati.com.
News
Tesla owner-investor stands ground after receiving Nazi-themed mail, welcomes new Model Y
The Tesla investor even made it a point to purchase the brightest shade available for her new Model Y.

A TSLA investor has decided to stand her ground after receiving a threatening, Nazi-themed card at her home.
The Tesla investor even welcomed a new Ultra Red Tesla Model Y to show her support for the company.
Responding with a New Tesla
As per 58-year-old Alexandra Merz, an investment analyst and immigration consultant who immigrated from Germany to the United States, she received mail from a Boston address to her home on April 17. Upon opening the letter, she was greeted by an image of the Tesla logo incorporated with a Nazi salute.
Inside the card was a handwritten message which read, “History has its eyes on you.” Merz promptly reported the message to the FBI. In a comment to the New York Post, she stated that she is now even more motivated to support Elon Musk and his ventures.
“This atrocious behavior motivates me even more to stand up for Tesla, Elon, and DOGE,” Merz noted. “I bought our fifth Tesla last Saturday, a beautiful red Model Y, the best car out there. And it drives itself.”
An Unfortunate Trend
In previous comments, Merz expressed her disdain for the ongoing attacks against Tesla and Musk. “Tesla is employing more than 140,000 employees worldwide, building the most American cars in the U.S., and building the European Model Ys in Berlin. I often wonder whether these protesters have thought through what they are doing,” she stated.
Elon Musk himself admitted to the disturbing trend during Tesla’s Q1 2025 earnings call, stating that “there’s been some blowback for the time that I’ve been spending in government with the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE.” The CEO also stated that he would soon be stepping back from DOGE’s everyday operations and focusing more of his time on Tesla.
U.S. President Donald Trump also addressed the ongoing attacks on Teslas in a comment about Musk’s impeding step back from DOGE. As per Trump, people against Musk are taking out their frustrations on Tesla and its owners, which is unfair. He also described the people behind the attacks on Tesla as “sick.”
News
Trump’s tariff exemptions for car parts bring mixed relief to automakers

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to grant tariff exemptions for car parts, offering partial relief to automakers amid intense industry lobbying. Trump’s tariff exemptions aim to ease the burden of trade policies disrupting the auto sector.
The expected tariff exemptions will spare car parts from duties targeting Chinese imports and those on steel and aluminum, per two sources familiar with the matter. Sources called the strategy a “destacking” of tariffs. The 25% tariff on foreign-made cars, already in effect, and a 25% duty on imported car parts, set for May 3, will remain.
The Center for Automotive Research estimated that Trump’s 25% tariffs on automotive imports will inflate automakers’ costs by $108 billion in 2025, threatening profitability and supply chains. Automakers are clambering to comply with Trump’s auto tariffs while maintaining car prices, or at least keeping prices reasonable. However, the tariffs threaten to unravel the auto industry, affecting automakers, parts suppliers, and long-established supply chains.
Tesla has quickly adjusted to Trump’s auto tariffs, suspending plans to ship components from China for its Cybercab and Semi electric trucks to the U.S. Similarly, Ford halted shipments of select vehicles to China, facing retaliatory tariffs as high as 150%, which have severely impacted its export strategy.
The partial exemptions offer a reprieve for automakers reliant on global supply chains, but the persistent 25% tariffs on cars and auto parts continue to challenge cost structures. As U.S. automakers navigate these trade hurdles, the exemptions could stabilize some operations, though rising car prices and supply chain disruptions remain significant concerns for the industry’s outlook in 2025.
Elon Musk
Donald Trump shares thoughts on Elon Musk’s DOGE step back
The U.S. President also noted that Musk is a great patriot, and that the people who attack Teslas are “sick.”

During Tesla’s first quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk announced that starting in May, he would be stepping back from the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) daily operations.
Musk’s comments were received positively by TSLA investors, resulting in the company’s stock rising despite Tesla missing Q1 expectations.
Musk’s Comments
In his opening remarks at the Tesla Q1 2025 earnings call, Musk acknowledged that there has been some blowback to Tesla due to his activities at DOGE. And while he believes that the protests against Tesla are very organized and likely paid for, he also noted that it is time for him to allocate more of his time to Tesla.
“Starting probably next month, May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly… I’ll be allocating probably more of my time to Tesla now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done,” Musk noted.
Trump’s Response
Considering Musk’s comments, it was no surprise that United States President Donald Trump was asked about the CEO’s impending step back from DOGE. Trump stated that he “can’t speak more highly about any individual,” and that Elon Musk has contributed a lot to the administration due to his work with DOGE. The president highlighted, however, that the backlash against Tesla has been extremely unfair.
“I also know that he was treated very unfairly by the, I guess he called the public, by some of the public, not by all of it. He makes an incredible car. Everything he does is good, but they took it out on Tesla, and I just thought it was so unfair, because he’s trying to help the country, but he has helped the country,” Trump stated.
The U.S. President also noted that Musk is a great patriot, and that the people who attack Teslas are “sick.” Trump also praised Elon Musk’s initiatives, stating that all the CEO’s projects are great, from Starlink to Neuralink to SpaceX to Tesla.
-
News3 days ago
Tesla’s Hollywood Diner is finally getting close to opening
-
Elon Musk6 days ago
Tesla doubles down on Robotaxi launch date, putting a big bet on its timeline
-
News1 week ago
Tesla’s top investor questions ahead of the Q1 2025 earnings call
-
Investor's Corner2 weeks ago
Tesla bull sees company’s future clearly: Cathie Wood
-
Cybertruck2 weeks ago
Tesla confirms Cybertruck will make its way out of North America this year
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Tesla stock woes are ‘overblown’ considering long-term catalysts: analyst
-
News2 weeks ago
Destroying Tesla stores partially acceptable, says nearly 40% of U.S. study’s respondents
-
News2 weeks ago
Bell Canada takes aim at potential Starlink subsidies