Audi chooses bull over cow leather
According to reports, Germany-based car manufacturer Audi has decided to use bull leather rather than cow leather for its interiors from now on.
The company claims female bovine hides are smaller and less homogenous than male hides and often fail to meet stringent quality standards.
Each hide is separated into three quality zones and the back area, known as the croupon, is used while the other, lower quality zones are discarded. The croupon offers the most even grain with few cracks or scars, if any. The high-grade leather is used to offer comfort, smoothness and durability.
Around 45 tests are carried out on the leather after it has been tested to make sure it is sufficiently durable. Samples are tested to see whether the leather expands evenly and at what point it tears or wrinkles. The tests also examine abrasion and fire resistance.
Furthermore, the firm employs a small team to ensure the materials used in the car, including the leather, smell good once they are inside the vehicle. The six workers in the ‘Audi Nose’ team are responsible for making sure the cars’ interiors as a whole, and as separate parts, do not give off any unpleasant odours.
To test the leather, small samples are placed in a canning jar equipped with an odourless gasket. An oven heats the sealed jar to 80°C Celsius for two hours. Each tester then sniffs the contents of the jar, reseals it and passes it to the next team member. Each secretly records their verdict. Around 500 different components are “sniff tested” for each model.
