Telsa prides itself on producing eco-friendly technology and now the firm is taking their 'green' mission one step further by protecting drivers from harmful pollutants.
Dubbed Bioweapon Defense Mode, the system provides drivers and passengers 'with the best possible cabin air quality no matter what is happening in the environment around them.'
A HEPA filtration system strips away pollen, bacteria and pollution from the air before they can enter the cabin and purifies the air inside by 'scrubbing' it of particles.
'We developed a HEPA filtration system capable of stripping the outside air of pollen, bacteria, and pollution before they enter the cabin and systematically scrubbing the air inside the cabin to eliminate any trace of these particles,' the Tesla team shared in a blog post.
'The end result is a filtration system hundreds of times more efficient than standard automotive filters, capable of providing the driver and her passengers with the best possible cabin air quality no matter what is happening in the environment around them.'
Tesla put its air filtration system to the test on the California freeways, which are known for its emissions, smelly marshes, landfills and cow pastures, to the air polluted cities in China.
'We wanted to ensure that it captured fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen and mold spores', writes Tesla.
And recent testing placed a Model X with the Bioweapon Defense Mode in a large contaminated bubble with extremely high levels of pollution (1,000 µg/m3 of PM2.5 vs. the EPA's 'good' air quality index limit of 12µg/m3).
Tesla said, researchers inside of the bubble were able to remove their gas masks after the air was scrubbed and breathe in fresh air.
Not only is the system capable of cleaning the cabin air, it vacuums the outside air as well, reducing pollution levels by 40 percent.
And the Bioweapon Defense Mode will be added to the Model S that is currently in production.
The World Health Organization says air pollution is 'the world's largest single environmental health risk' that kills more than three million people a year.
This rate is twice the number of people that die in vehicle accidents each year.
-Daily Mail