Allergies, asthma and air pollution affect hundreds of millions of people around the world in a negative way, according to data from the World Health Organisation and the World Allergy Organisation.
That is why Volvo Cars is taking steps to offer its customers ever-improving air quality inside its latest cars through cutting-edge air purification, helping people breathe cleaner air.
Volvo Cars believes that clean air offers multiple benefits from a personal health and safety perspective and will continue to make further improvements in this area as it develops its cars.
The Advanced Air Cleaner, part of the latest air purification technology available on new 90 and 60 series models has been CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly, by Allergy Standards Limited (ASL), removing up to 99.9 per cent of grass, tree and weed pollen allergens from incoming air.
Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) is an independent certification programme that helps consumers identify products that are suitable for people with asthma and allergies.
“By helping our customers improve the air quality inside their Volvo car, we will help reduce the adverse health effects associated with air pollution, allergens and fine particulates,” said Dr. Maria Bernander, occupant health effects expert at Volvo Cars. “In addition to personal health benefits, studies have shown cleaner air can also help boost concentration which can help you stay more focused during the drive.”
Moreover, drivers of the latest Volvo cars* will be able to assess whether to purify the air in the cabin of their car with the help of live data that shows actual outdoor pollen and air quality levels in the car’s centre display. This in-house developed app makes Volvo Cars the first car maker to provide live data of outdoor pollen levels to drivers.
“By regularly testing and evolving the air purification features in our cars, we can increase our competitive advantage by offering a more comfortable and healthier driving experience,” said Anders Löfvendahl, cabin air quality technical expert and function owner.
Cars equipped with the company’s latest air purification technology also come with a sensor, launched globally in 2020 as a world-first feature in Volvo cars, that measures PM 2.5 levels inside the cabin and allows customers to compare those to outside levels.
Indicating the amount of fine particulate matters in the air, PM 2.5 levels are a widely used measure for air quality. Globally, many urban areas suffer from PM 2.5 levels that exceed recommended levels by the World Health Organisation, underlining the need to minimise their impact.
Thanks to a synthetic fibre-based filter and ionisation in Volvo Cars’ Advanced Air Cleaner, up to 95 per cent of all PM 2.5 particles are kept out of the cabin in our 60 and 90 series models.
Additionally, the Advanced Air Cleaner can remove more than 97 per cent of airborne viruses that try to enter the cabin via the air filter and remove existing viral levels in the vehicle by up to 95 per cent. Results from recent tests performed by the independent Austrian research and testing institute OFI show that the viral filtration efficiency of its filter and ioniser makes the technology highly effective against airborne viruses.
