Honda Has a Clever Solution to Fight COVID-19 in Your Car
The importance of wearing a mask to stop the coronavirus from spreading is now well documented and accepted. With more and more doctors and scientists here and abroad urging authorities to take serious measures against aerosol transmission, including better ventilation systems, Honda has decided to do something about it.
The Japanese automaker has introduced in its domestic market a device called “Kurumaku,” which is a special cabin filter that protects occupants from airborne coronavirus particles inside the vehicle.
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It’s essentially a mask for your car.
Using a zinc phosphate chemical conversion treatment, Honda’s filter covers the traditional cabin filter and reportedly kills 99.8 percent of said particles, the company claims. It could eliminate the spread of other viruses, as well.
The Kurumaku has a life cycle of about a year or 15,000 kilometres. After that, the owner of the vehicle would need to replace it.
Similar to researchers who have worked on the various vaccines for COVID-19, Honda has fast-tracked development of the Kurumaku so consumers can benefit from it as soon as possible. However, you’ll only find it in one model that’s sold in Japan—as a dealer-installed accessory costing approximately $100.
Since Honda’s innovation appears to be quite promising, we hope it expands to more vehicles and markets shortly, maybe even as standard equipment. And who knows? Maybe other automakers will follow suit.