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Is there some fundamental difference between this feature and the built-in in-cabin air filter that my 2002 Nissan Maxima had? It seems like it's the same exact
by Unklejoe 10y ago
Is there some fundamental difference between this feature and the built-in in-cabin air filter that my 2002 Nissan Maxima had? It seems like it's the same exact thing, but maybe the Tesla has a better filter and a more air tight cabin?
I bet my 2011 BMW 335i would probably perform just as well since that cabin is much more air tight. All air passes through a massive filter which I believe contains a normal paper element as well as a charcoal element for odor.
Cars have had cabin filters for a long time now. The primary purpose is to reduce dust an allergies.
I have a hard time believing that the car is air tight enough to prevent actual bioweapon particles from entering after any extended period of time. Of course, the amount of particles required to be harmful plays a big role in the overall effectiveness of this.
Is there some other aspect that I am missing?
[EDIT]: It seems like HEPA specifications are more strict than that of the average cabin filter in terms of particle size. This clearly separates the Telsa from other implementations.
- bryanlarsen 10y agoThe Tesla in bioweapons mode maintains positive pressure -- ie, the air inside the car is pressurized to a higher pressure than the outside air.
- Unklejoe 10y agoMakes sense. That should help keep outside air (other than through the main filter) out of the car. However, there's also positive pressure inside my BMW when the HVAC system is running. This is one of the reasons that the windows slide down ~1cm when you open the door and slide back up after you close it. It makes it easier to close the door. Even with that, it takes a considerable amount more force to close the door when the HVAC system is running. The HVAC system in the BMW was probably not designed with the intent of stopping bioweapons, but what I'm alluding to is that I'd be curious to see the same air quality tests performed on other cars which include in-cabin air filters. Maybe they all work that well? I don't think the BMW has a HEPA filter though. However, it should be good enough. I found the following online (though not from the best of sources): ----- Cabin air filters are very efficient and have electrostatically charged fibers that can trap particles smaller than 1 micron in size. Most quality cabin air filters will stop 100% of all particles that are 3 microns or larger in size and 95-99% of particles in the 1-3 micron size range. ---- http://www.underhoodservice.com/tech-tip-cabin-air-filter-q-a/ http://www.underhoodservice.com/tech-tip-cabin-air-filter-q-...
- cmsmith 10y agoDoesn't every car maintain positive pressure? I've never seen a car that doesn't only have fans on the air inlets.
- wolf550e 10y agoThis is Elon Musk explaining the difference in a 2 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K82_okF1AWo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K82_okF1AWo
- ssmoot 10y agoMy wife's Nissan Quest has an "air cleaning" mode it turns on occasionally. No idea if it really does anything, but it's got a big HEPA filter.