HEPA air filters in the Tesla Model S and X protect you against dust, bacteria, pollen, spores, and numerous hazardous gases.

Public health is significantly and widely impacted by air pollution. More than three million people die as a result each year, making it “the world’s largest single environmental health risk,” according to the World Health Organisation. The number of fatalities in auto accidents is more than twice as high.

We place a high priority on health and safety. We felt compelled to safeguard the people inside the Model S and X against the statistically meaningful risk of air pollution, just as we developed the vehicles to prevent crashes and protect their occupants when one occurs.

We created a HEPA filtration system that is capable of removing pollen, bacteria, and pollution from the outside air before it enters the cabin and thoroughly cleaning the air inside the cabin to remove any traces of these particles. Our system was inspired by air filtration systems used in hospitals, clean rooms, and the space industry.

The end result is a filtration system that is hundreds of times more effective than typical vehicle filters and can give the driver and her passengers the highest cabin air quality possible regardless of what is going on in their surroundings.

The air filtration system was tested in a variety of real-world settings, including congested motorways in California, stench-filled wetlands, cow pastures, and landfills, as well as significant Chinese towns. In addition to bacteria, viruses, pollen, and mould spores, we needed to make sure that it also collected tiny particulate matter and gaseous contaminants.

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The next stage was to test the entire system in a setting where we could precisely control and meticulously observe air conditions, just as we would on the road. A Model X was placed inside a sizable bubble that was heavily polluted. The falcon doors were then shut, and Bioweapon Defence Mode was turned on.

The graph below displays how the levels of pollution inside the car and the bubble changed over time. The Model X’s HEPA filtration system scrubbed the air in less than two minutes, reducing the pollution levels from an extremely dangerous 1,000 g/m3 to levels so low that they couldn’t be detected by our instruments (below the noise floor). This allowed us to take off our gas masks and breathe fresh air while still inside a bubble of pollution.

In addition to thoroughly cleaning the cabin air, the vehicle system started to hoover the air outside the car a few minutes later, cutting PM2.5 levels by 40%. In other words, Bioweapon Defence Mode is a true feature and not just a marketing slogan. Sitting in your car will allow you to withstand a biological strike of military grade.

Additionally, it will improve the quality of the air around you by cleaning the air outside your automobile. Although a Model X was used for this test, the same would hold true for the new Model S that is currently in production.

The primary and secondary filters in your car’s primary and secondary filters, which are easily replaced, have micro-geometry and chemical passivation defences that Tesla will continue to enhance. We welcome suggestions for enhancements.