New 12V Category: Air Filtration

Suppliers are gearing up for what may become a new category for the 12 volt market in response to the pandemic–aftermarket automotive air filtration systems.

A handful of suppliers, including VOXX and Accele, are investigating distributing or developing products that filter out harmful microbes in the car cabin

Accele plans to offer two devices.  The first uses a miniature HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter as well as a second filter designed to remove different toxins from the car cabin.  This is a higher end device at $395 retail price.  The second is an air treatment system with two parts.  One cleans the air and the other is a sensor located in a different part of the car to monitor the air quality at all times, letting the cleaner know when to turn on or off, as it looks for pollutants in the air.  Both remove bacteria and viruses.  They should be available in about a month, according to Accele President Allen Arzoumanian.

VOXX said it is in discussions with a company producing an air filtration product for the car. Two other suppliers said they are investigating the market but aren’t ready to talk about their product plans at this time.

JVC began selling a mini HEPA-based air purifier for the car prior to the pandemic. It was a new product and sales were slow.  However, since the pandemic, the product is sold out.  “When the virus started coming our inventory got depleted almost instantly,”said Kenwood National Training & Content Development Manager Seth Halstead. “I can tell you there’s a huge demand for them and we are working hard on being able to respond… I think people are thinking that anything like this can’t hurt at this stage of the game and I don’t think it’s going away any time soon.”  JVC expects more of its HEPA Air Purifiers (KS-GA100) to be available in July. Street price for the unit is $89.95. The filters should be changed every 3 to 6 months, depending on usage. Each filter has a street price of $19.95

Consumer Reports says that HEPA filters are effective against Coronavirus as HEPA’s effectiveness is determined by the size of the particles it filters.  Technically, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is smaller than the filter, but the virus particles are usually attached to water or other particles and so they end up trapped in the filter.

Consumer Reports, however, said simply opening up windows will help reduce harmful microbes in the air, when it comes to a home.  But if that is not possible (say in a car at high speeds) then it suggests using a HEPA purifier.   The publication interviewed various experts  including an indoor air quality expert and professor at The University of Toronto, Jeffrey Siegel, who said, while there is no direct evidence HEPA is effective against SARS-CoV-2, “we can infer from what we know for similar viruses, like SARS.”  Additionally recent articles in medical journals suggest that air filtration can reduce the risk of transmitting measles and flu, said Consumer Reports.

The HEPA filtering product must have strong enough air cycling capability to make sure the particles are moving through the filter. This is called CADR (clean air delivery rate) and it measures the volume of air that an air purifier produces at its highest speed in cubic feet per minute. This is where some of the smaller air purifiers for the car may fall short.   Air purifier packaging should show a CADR rating.  For rooms in house, the CADR should be over 240 for its smoke rating (home purifiers also show CADR ratings for dust and pollen, but viruses would be measured as similar to smoke), said Consumer Reports.

We have asked Consumer Reports for specifications appropriate to the car, but have not yet received an answer.

Separately, another area that 12 volt suppliers are pursuing are hand sanitizer dispensers.  A typical desk sanitizer has a pump but you infect the top of the pump when you press on it.  Accele is offering a product that automatically dispenses sanitizer when you place your hand near it so you don’t have to touch the pump.  It has a price of $34.95 and holds about 10 to 12 ounces.

In yet another Coronavirus safety category for automobiles Atrend and Race Sport are offering plastic barriers for the car to separate the front and rear passengers; an ideal product for Uber and Lyft drivers.