Jaguar Land Rover says its cabin air purification system inhibits viruses and bacteria by up to 97 per cent

From sanitisers and mattresses to plywoods and fabrics, several brands have touted their wares’ ability to provide you with the ideal protection against viruses and bacteria. The latest one is Panasonic AC’s nanoe X technology that claims to inhibit bacteria and viruses, including 99.99 per cent of the adhered novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

This very technology has found itself a home in British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover. The car’s prototype heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have been shown, in laboratory tests, to inhibit viruses and airborne bacteria by as much as 97 per cent.

Jaguar Land Rover partnered with Perfectus Biomed, a leading microbiology and virology lab, to perform the laboratory-based sealed chamber test designed to simulate a vehicle ventilation system in recirculation mode over a 30-minute cycle.

Alexander Owen, research engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, said, “This technology is a great example of being able to harness the power of nature. It puts Jaguar Land Rover right at the forefront of this cabin technology. Hydroxyl radicals are one of the most important natural oxidants in chemistry, and have been helping to clean our atmosphere for millennia, removing pollutants and other harmful substances. The creation of this technology and our advanced research is the first step in deploying this scientific phenomenon within vehicle cabins of the future.”

While Jaguar Land Rover talks about how the technology will help its customers, we (afaqs!) recall the Panasonic ad about its ACs being fitted with technology, wherein it took on COVID-induced 'spray culture'.

The ad mocked recently formed disinfection habits. In the ad, you will notice the use of the ‘bua’ trope. The frantic ‘bua’ sprays a disinfectant on everyone and everything; a valid precaution we all must emulate, despite all these months into the pandemic. But the ad mocks the ‘bua’ and tells her to chill because the AC is taking care of our health.