Stockholm, August 30, 2019. The Chinese automotive market has become the first market in the world to experience a new, fully integrated, active air-purification system for cars. The solution has roots in a world-leading technology from Blueair that has been proven in millions of homes, offices and indoor spaces around the world.

The system, developed by Sweden-based CabinAir, removes more than 95% of PM2.5 and harmful ultrafine particles on single pass, keeping the in-car air within WHO recommended levels throughout the ride.

More alert drivers

It could also contribute to fewer traffic accidents by helping keep drivers more alert. Traditional systems need to recirculate the air in the car in order to reach acceptable low levels of particulates. As air is recirculated, though, oxygen levels in the car decrease and CO2 levels increase, which can cause the driver to become drowsy and react more slowly.

With recirculated air, as in traditional systems, unhealthy levels* of CO2 can be reached in 15min with a family of four in the car.

CabinAir’s patented active purification system, however, does not depend on recirculating air to purify it. Instead, it is based on a two-stage technology invented by Blueair, adapted by CabinAir to work in the highly demanding environment beneath the hood of a car. This technology gives pollution particles an electrical charge as they enter the system, making them “stickier,” so they can be trapped in a filter much more effectively than in a passive filter-only system.

In-car air can be much more polluted

Outdoor air pollution is widely known as a serious health threat. Less known is the fact that in-car air can be much more polluted than outdoor air. This is due primarily to the direct flow of exhaust from the vehicles ahead and the relatively small volume of enclosed space inside the passenger compartment.

“It’s now clear that the automotive industry is taking healthy air more and more seriously, both outside and inside vehicles,” says Daniel Hagström, CabinAir CEO. “We are very proud of having been chosen to be a volume supplier to one of the top brands in the industry. It’s proof that we are doing things right both for the car-driving population and from a corporate and technology perspective.”

The CabinAir Active Air Quality Solution will first be available in China on following Volvo models: S60, V60, V60CC, XC60, S90, S90L, V90, V90CC, XC90 and Polestar1.

*Source: Mohd Sahril Mohd Fouzi, Mohamad Asyraf Othoman, Shaharin Anwar Sulaiman, Effect of Recirculation on Air Quality in a Car Compartment. Aust. J. Basic & Appl. Sci., 8(4): 466-470, 2014