Audi Tests E-Tron With Particulate Filter To Clean The Air As It Drives
Audi is taking carbon neutrality one step further with the development of a new particulate filter that allows cars to clean the air while driving through it.
The new innovation is the result of a partnership with MANN+HUMMEL, proposed as a practical solution to make EVs truly carbon neutral. But wait, aren’t electric cars zero-emission vehicles already?
Electric vehicle makers love to portray their cars as eco-friendly with no harmful emissions. That statement is only half true, electric powertrains are truly a zero-emission system, but we all tend to neglect the fine dust that the tires and brakes leave on the road just like any other regular vehicle. This kind of pollution accounts for 85% of total car emissions; a significant chunk that we can’t just pretend doesn’t exist.
The World Health Organization warned carmakers about this situation, pointing out that their efforts in EV technology can be undermined if they keep focusing only on powertrain emissions. Additionally, the organization put a new set of regulations in hopes to reduce the level of fine particles on public roads.
Audi Tests E-Tron With Particulate Filter To Clean The Air As It Drives
Back to Audi’s filter, the company has set it up conveniently in front of the car’s radiator to optimize its performance and avoid messing up the car’s sleek design. A series of tests have proven that the filter had no impact on the radiator’s functions and the car’s ability to cool itself down even on some particularly hot days.
The filter’s placement allows it to work passively while the car is moving, cleaning the air as it runs through it, when stationary, the system continues its cleaning work as the radiator sucks air into the vehicle.
Audi has already compiled the necessary data to prove that its new air filter is working efficiently. According to the company, 31,068 miles of testing in urban centers with particularly high levels of pollution have shown that the filter is able to capture as many fine dust particles as the car emits, making it a truly neutral factor in the pollution equation. Audi pointed out that the cars can even be positive cleaning machines if put in a more polluted environment.
Naturally, the filter cannot work forever; it has to be replaced during the car’s regular maintenance sessions. About its composition, Audi said that it accounts for 14.9 kg (32.8 lbs) of CO2 equivalents and is made of 60 percent recycled materials.
“This particulate filter is an example of our pursuit of innovation for everyone’s benefit and a successful collaboration with specialized suppliers,” Fabian Groh, project manager in attachment system development. “We are already doing a lot today on our own initiative. We anticipate it will also become a legal requirement in the future.”[i]
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