Skoda design team planning the eco-friendly leather for vehicles.

June 14, 2024/inHelp & Advice/Alexandra Miles

How Škoda is Taking the Lead in Vehicle Sustainability

It’s likely not news to hear that Škoda is pushing the boundaries of affordable luxury and mixing it with the modern-day must-have of sustainability for their marque, however, you might be surprised to know exactly how and what they’re using to achieve this.

Responsible Luxury

Genuine leather is still being used in Škoda’s interiors, but it’s leather that would’ve ended up as meat industry waste if not used as a by-product by Škoda. Cows aren’t bread for their skin, and therefore despite thinking leather might not be a sustainable option, it actually is.

Old School meets New School

To reach the final product, animal hides must go through a process that is known as “tanning”. Tanning is a centuries-old method used to permanently alter the protein structure of the skin to make it durable and to have the ability to take on another life.

The traditional tanning process can pose significant health and environmental risks, however, with the company Olivenleder, Škoda has found a way to mitigate that altogether. Olivenleder is a German-founded company that uses leaves from Olive trees, a by-product for other olive fruit products, and which would normally be burnt as an afterthought.

The leather is rendered with a special extract from the leaves to meet the luxurious Czech carmaker’s quality requirements in terms of the leather durability, appearance, and overall feel. This has been verified by machine tests as well as in numerous tests performed by independent experts.

“We work together with partners who share our passion and our vision of future mobility, while reducing the impact for our environment. True value comes from craftsmanship focusing on long-lasting quality and customers intercity. The ecological tanning process is a good example what shows how we come with each and every detail of these craftsmanship and of this passion. To reduction of the footprint, we are giving to the environment and on the other side to increase our effect for sustainability. This is deep in our DNA, this is our understanding at Škoda to go step by step in a sustainable future,“ adds Karsten Schnake, board member for purchasing at Škoda.

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Explore the Škoda Enyaq

The Škoda Enyaq is the original vehicle to have Oliveleden leather throughout its interior; it amazingly takes approximately 215,00 olive leaves to create the tanning for one. As the marque’s first fully electric SUV, it felt fitting for the vehicle to be once again the benchmark for sustainability excellence.

The Škoda Enyaq is a game changer for city traffic and long hauls alike, with sleek sportline styling, generous interiors, and state-of-the-art driver assistance, the Enyaq is the ultimate electric car for everyone

Discover the Enyaq, or if you have any questions, feel free to contact us, and our friendly Vehicle Specialists will be in touch.

Škoda’s Commitment

Škoda places a strong emphasis on sustainability and circular economy principles in the design of its vehicles. Using by-product leather and Olivenleder are just some examples of the environmentally friendly materials and processes they use.