Tesla has made its Hepa filter with “bioweapon defense mode” standard on new Model Y electric SUVs produced at Fremont Factory.
With the Model X and later the Model S, Tesla has started to put massive Hepa-rated air filters inside its vehicles.
The idea is for Tesla to put efforts into developing a more powerful air filtering system in order to not only contribute to the reduction of local air pollution with electric vehicles but also to reduce the direct impact of air pollution on the occupants of its vehicles.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk credited Google co-founder Larry Page for turning him onto the idea.
The automaker claims that the filter in the Model X is about 10 times larger than a normal car filter, and it is “100 times more effective than premium automotive filters,” as it removes “at least 99.97% of fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen and mold spores.”
When it is operating at full blast, Tesla claims that it is powerful enough to protect against a bioweapon attack — hence the name of the mode.
Musk said that Tesla didn’t have space in Model 3 for a big enough Hepa filter to make “bioweapon defense mode” work, but the bigger Model Y has the space.
Tesla first introduced the filter and bioweapon defense mode in the electric SUVs produced in China.
Over the last month, Tesla has transitioned the Model Y produced in Fremont Factory to the new bigger filter.
Rustam Kocher shared a picture of the new air filter housing in the Model Y:
It looks like all new Model Y vehicles being delivered in North America now come with the new Hepa air filter, which enables the highest level of air filtration.
It’s a welcome new feature to the Model Y produced in North America, but the vehicle has received several price increases over the last year.
The base Model Y Long Range went from $50,000 to $54,000 over the first half of the year.
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