Ford in America reckons it can kill 99% of Coronavirus particles in cars by simply heating the cabin for 15 minutes. It has demonstrated the procedure using police cars in multiple US cities including New York, Los Angeles, Ohio and Florida.
Ford calls it a “heated software enhancement” (it really needs to come up with a snappier name – we suggest “COVID INCINERATOR” or “NO-VID19” or “THE GREAT CORONA BAKE OFF”) and it works by heating the cabin up to 133 degrees Fahrenheit (56 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes. That temperature for that length of time, says Ford, will “reduce the viral concentration inside the vehicle by greater than 99 percent.”
Ford worked with microbiologists at Ohio State University to develop the system, which is designed to supplement standard antibacterial cleaning methods.
The best thing about it is that it’s an easy software fix, working by running the car’s engine at a high temperature, then sending that heat into the cabin. The car's hazard lights flash when the car is being baked, then flash a different way to tell the driver that the process is complete and the car is safe to enter.
Ford hasn’t said whether it plans to make the system widespread – as with everything like this there’s a lot of testing to do, in this case mainly to prevent a slew of claims from enraged Fiesta drivers whose dashboards have melted like that Nazi fella’s face in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Still, it’s progress in the fight against COVID-19, and that’s something.
Keyword: Ford company creates compelling COVID-killing car climate…procedure