Volvo moving to chrome-free interiors

Apparently there's a sizable group of people out there allergic to chrome. This is different than a normal enthusiast's aversion to chrome trim, mind you. While we might gag at the overuse of the bling, someone with a chromium allergy can actually develop an itchy rash if they touch it. While most automakers reserve chrome for the exterior and some interior accents, a little known fact is that chromium is often used in the leather-tanning process. That means that most leather interiors are off limits to those unfortunate souls who have this problem. Until now. Volvo has just announced that all of its leather interiors will forthwith feature only chrome-free leather. Instead, all of the leather used in Volvo car interiors will be tanned using either natural or synthetic tanning materials. The switch is said to benefit both man and nature because it also reduces the environmental impact of the tanning process.

[Source: Volvo]