Fine dust in electric cars

Fine dust in electric cars

Millions of people worldwide suffer from the effects of polluted air, not only outdoors in places with a lot of traffic, but also inside vehicles. Fine dust emissions include not only exhaust gases, but also particles that are released into the air by braking and wear and tear on tires and road surfaces. The problem of fine dust is independent of the type of drive and also applies to electric vehicles. With an innovation in the area of ​​interior filtration, the global filtration expert Mann+Hummel is concentrating on a particle size that is attracting increasing attention - so-called ultrafine particles (less than 0.1 micrometers). These can reach particularly deep into the human body and cause health damage. The World Health Organization (WHO) also pays particular attention to ultrafine particles and in its latest air quality guidelines called for this particle size to be included in existing routine measurements.

Regardless of the type of drive, cabin filters play a major role in providing drivers and passengers with clean, healthy air. There is also a trend in electric vehicles to improve air quality through multi-stage filter systems. Mann+Hummel has developed Hepa filter systems to effectively protect people from these microscopic contaminants. The term “Hepa” stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. The term is not protected, which is why you have to be particularly careful here. The addition “according to DIN EN 1822 and ISO 29463” reveals whether a filter actually meets the high requirements of European and international standards. “Our filter media meet these requirements,” explains Christiane Michel, Business Development Manager Cabin Air Quality at Mann+Hummel, and continues: “Our multi-stage cabin filter systems with highly efficient HEPA filters offer protection through air filtration in clean room quality, as is also found in operating rooms, for example.”

Smart multi-stage Hepa filter systems are designed to ensure that filtration only occurs when it is needed. An intelligent control system records the air quality and provides data on the basis of which the system decides which of the three filters to flow through. "This can ensure that the Hepa filter, as the final filtration stage, is only activated automatically when necessary, for example in heavily polluted outside air such as in a tunnel or in traffic jams. This allows the size of the system to be kept compact and the service life of the Hepa filter to be extended," adds Michel.