Can Tesla’s Bioweapon Defence Mode Protect Drivers from Bacteria and Pollution?

 Those in the market for a new vehicle have been given one more reason to buy an electric car with the news that Tesla’s long-awaited Model X will be equipped with the capability to resist a bioweapon.

Although air conditioning is normally associated with simply cooling down the occupants of a car on a hot day, Tesla have gone several steps further and made the AC system on their Model X (also available on the Model S) impervious to contaminants in the air. What’s more, the sophisticated system can even work to reduce air pollution in the immediate surroundings of the car, as well.

Startling Results from a Test Scenario

The revolutionary AC system was unveiled at the beginning of the month when its capabilities were shown off in a controlled experiment. The vehicle was placed inside an airtight bubble, into which high levels of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) were pumped. PM2.5 is a dangerous contaminant emitted by car exhaust fumes and power plant emissions which are small enough to be inhaled and can infiltrate the bloodstream. Once inside our bodies, the substance can cause all manner of respiratory and cardiac ailments, as well as being a known carcinogenic.

The atmosphere inside the bubble showed readings of 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre of PM2.5, an insanely high level of pollution. For reference, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the States advises that good air quality has no more than 12 micrograms per cubic metre.

The experiment began with the doors on the car open, meaning that pollution levels in its interior were just as bad as those outside to begin with. However, the doors were then sealed and the Bioweapon Defence Mode was engaged. Within just a few minutes, the car had completely neutralised pollution levels inside the car, as well as working to curb contaminants in its vicinity by up to 40%.

State-of-the-Art Technology for the Future of Green Automobiles

The filters used in the Model X and Model S are high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)-compliant. This means that they meet stringent regulations on filtering out unwanted chemicals and contaminants from the air, and are normally reserved for use in hospitals, rockets and other sophisticated air filters used in industry.

Tesla’s decision to incorporate them into its new line of cars can only spell good news for their future owners as well as for the environment. By simultaneously ridding the interior of the car of any pollutants and reducing harmful levels in its immediate vicinity, Tesla are showing their dedication to cleaning up the environment, one car at a time.

Though surviving a bioweapon might seem a little extreme, the amounts of pollution inhaled by cab drivers and passengers in the gridlock of big city traffic shouldn’t be underestimated. As such, the Model X represents a huge step forward in automotive environmentalism.