While the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines is well underway, there is going to be quite a while before everyone gets it. Until then, we all need to say safe, and Honda Motor Europe has a new product to keep people from contracting coronavirus. The company says its premium cabin air filter can capture and inactivate almost 100 percent of the viral load.
The filter has four layers of material. The first two use microfibers to trap things like dust and pollen. The third has activated charcoal for further filtration. Finally, the fourth uses a fruit extract to capture the virus particles.
"As society is now more aware than ever of the impact of germs and viruses such as COVID-19, we expect the demand for protective solutions to increase rapidly," Eiichi Hino, President Honda Access Europe NV, said.
The company also has some more general recommendations for protecting against COVID-19 while driving. While it might be the opposite of what you'd expect, increasing the amount of fresh air running through the cabin is a good way to protect against viruses inside the vehicle. This is because more air maximizes the dilution of airborne aerosols. Also, Honda recommends changing the cabin air filter more often than usual to maintain optimum protection.
Motor1.com has reached out to Honda to find out whether this cabin air filter is available in the US or will be in the future. In Europe, this component is available on all recent Honda models as an alternative to the standard Honda pollen filter.
Honda isn't alone in working on air filtration methods for preventing occupants from contracting COVID-19. For example, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQS electric sedan will be available with an optional HEPA system that's capable of creating the air quality of an operating room. Similarly, Tesla models have offered HEPA filtration for several years.
