Eco-friendly leather for Enyaq is just the start

Cars in the Enyaq family can have seats upholstered in leather tanned with olive tree leaves. This is one of the many steps down the road to sustainability that Škoda is taking.

30. 5. 2023 Škoda World

Genuine leather that would otherwise end up as meat industry waste in landfill and olive tree leaves that would be burnt. These are the basic materials used in environmentally friendly upholstery for seats in Enyaq cars. Anyone who orders an Enyaq with the EcoSuite Design Selection can have this.

Seats with sustainable upholstery are created from two materials that are otherwise waste products using a special process. The process does without the chemicals that are usually used to tan leather. Instead, the leather is rendered with a special extract from the leaves of olive trees. The extract contains a substance that olive trees produce to repel animal pests. The process of making the extract is reminiscent of infusing tea and it meets the strictest criteria set by the food industry. It is also important to emphasise that the leaves used are the waste from the olive harvest: no tree is cut down.

Ecologically tanned leather is one of the steps Škoda is taking towards sustainability.

Over two hundred thousand leaves

About 215,000 olive leaves are needed to create the tanning extract for one Enyaq. The leather itself could not then be used for upholstery without this extract. The resulting Olivenleder® product meets all the Czech carmaker’s quality requirements in terms of the leather’s durability, appearance and overall feel. This has been verified by machine tests as well as in numerous tests performed by independent experts.

The extract is made using leaves that are a waste product of the olive harvest. No trees are cut down.

“When we start developing a new model, we always take an innovative approach to each individual detail and component. And of course we prioritise circular economy standards, as well. From the initial drawings, choice of materials and optimising the technical solution to the final testing phases and release by the Quality team, all the products and materials we use must comply with the highest standards our customers expect from us,” says Johannes Neft, Škoda board member responsible for technical development.

“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.

Škoda places particular emphasis on sustainability and circular economy principles in the design of its vehicles. Leather tanned with olive leaf extract is just one of many examples of the environmentally friendly materials and processes the Czech carmaker uses in its vehicles. For example, in addition to the Enyaq, upholstery made from recycled materials can also be found in the Karoq compact SUV, again featuring fabrics that are made from 70% recycled PET bottles.

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It is making increasing use of these avenues so that Škoda cars meet even the latest and most stringent customer expectations. In the future, for example, the company expects that all the natural leather upholstery in its cars will be produced in supremely eco-friendly ways.