Bentley's Organic Leather Makes Debut in New Vehicle

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【Summary】Bentley has developed a fully organic leather for its car interiors, as part of its sustainability plan. The leather is made from hides sourced from the European Union and uses a sustainable tanning process that utilizes an organic by-product of the olive oil industry. The leather is soft, hardwearing, and free of harmful metals and minerals. Bentley is the first in the industry to use this technology and plans to offer the new leather across its entire product range.

FutureCar Staff Aug 14, 2023 4:22 PM PT

Bentley's Organic Leather Makes Debut in New Vehicle

Bentley's iconic quilted interiors are undergoing a green transformation as part of the company's sustainability plan. The British luxury car manufacturer has developed a fully organic leather for its cabins, which will be showcased in a new Bentley model at Monterey Car Week in California on August 18. However, Bentley couldn't resist giving a sneak peek of the eco-friendly material on the internet beforehand.

In an effort to be more sustainable, Bentley already uses highly traceable leather hides that are a by-product of the meat industry and would otherwise go to landfill. These hides, sourced from the European Union, are carefully chosen to avoid any connections to deforestation. The company's commitment to greener processes extends throughout its supply chain.

The new Olive Tan leather is the first to undergo a sustainable tanning process. This process utilizes an organic by-product of the olive oil industry, specifically the wastewater extracted during olive pressing. The resulting tanning agent has a higher concentration of renewable chemicals and is free from harmful metals, minerals, and aldehydes. As a result, Bentley has created an incredibly soft organic leather.

Leather is a vital component of Bentley's car interiors and plays a significant role in achieving the brand's signature finish. Marc Stang, technical expert leather at Bentley, emphasizes the importance of leather's durability, especially since 84 percent of all Bentley cars built are still on U.K. roads.

Bentley is proud to be the first in the industry to adopt the Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) technology from Italian leather tannery Pasubio SpA. The company plans to offer the new OMW-derived leather across its entire product range, showcasing its commitment to sustainability.

Since announcing its Beyond 100 strategy in November 2020, Bentley has been making significant progress in sustainability. The automaker has allocated $3.4 billion over the next decade to electrify its lineup and aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. This latest innovation demonstrates that Bentley can achieve its green goals without compromising on style.

As Monterey Car Week comes to a close, stay tuned for Robb Report's recap of the event.