Where Does the Leather on Your Car Seats Come From?

Whether it's just on the gear knob or a full car interior, buyers would have happily accepted less a few years ago, and more and more are demanding luxury interiors even in mainstream vehicles. So where does this all come from? Well, as long as the leather in your car is genuine, it's likely to come from a cow. That said, automotive grade leather is more than just cowhide.

Unlike leather luggage or jackets, the kind of leather used for car interiors has to be durable enough to resist stains and fading over the years. In general, car manufacturers prefer the leather of cows that live in far northern climates, partly because their skins are thicker and they tend to have fewer biting pests, preventing scarring.

These leathers have no major blemishes and retain their natural finish, with the end grain being identical to that of the cow. Less costly leathers often have more imperfections, which may include scars from barbed wire, but treating and embossing the leather can hide most of them.

 Steering Wheel Cover

Size is also an important factor for car manufacturers.

On the other hand, cheaper leather is often split in half lengthways to cover more areas for less money, but at the cost of it being thinner and not lasting as long. So, how much leather is actually needed to cover a car? Well, some manufacturers can offer all-leather interiors using relatively little leather, but by comparison, the interior of the Bentley Mulsanne requires 14 separate pieces of leather per car.

In fact, demand is so high that 30% of all leather produced on the planet is used for car interiors, while most of the rest is used in the shoe industry. Simple economics suggests that increased demand and reduced resources mean higher prices.

As a result, car manufacturers are beginning to rely more and more on partial leather interiors, or options that involve faux leather rather than the real thing. Technological advances have greatly improved the quality of artificial leather to the point where many people are getting value for money for a natural product.

 IECHO BK4 Cutting System

Not only is it getting closer to the feel of real cowhide, but it is often lighter to save fuel and doesn't produce as much waste or emissions as the leather manufacturing process.

IECHO new BK4 cutting system is for a single layer (few layers) cutting, can work on processes automatically and accurately, like through a cut, milling, V groove, marking, etc. It can be widely used in the industries of automotive interior, advertising, furniture, and composite, etc. BK4 cutting system, with its high precision and efficiency, provides automated cutting solutions to a variety of industries.

IECHO UCT can perfectly cut materials with a thickness of up to 5mm. Compared to other cutting tools, UCT is the most cost-effective one that allows for the fastest cutting speed and lowest maintenance cost. The protective sleeve equipped with a spring ensures cutting accuracy.