Hyundai MG develops system to improve in-cabin air quality

Hyundai Motor Group has developed a ‘Smart Air Purification system’ that monitors interior air quality to automatically filter the air inside a car.

This is a continuation of the Group’s prior work to enhance in-car air quality by introducing a new automated monitoring system, which continually checks interior air quality until it achieves an ‘Excellent’ status.

Combined with advanced filtering innovations, the technology can remove fine particulates before passengers enter the car, and purification of cabin air throughout a journey.

The new development responds to growing concerns about the health impact of fine particulates, especially in highly-congested urban areas.

Conventional air purification systems only operate for a set period when activated, turning off after a designated time regardless of current cabin air quality. However, the new Smart Air Purification system constantly monitors the car’s air quality, activating the purification function if the air quality decreases to ‘Fair’ level. It then maintains the cleaning process until the air quality improves to an ‘Excellent’ level. Even if the exterior air quality is at ‘Poor’ level, the system can purify air inside to ‘Excellent’ quality in almost instantaneously.

Passengers can monitor interior air quality levels via the car’s audio-video navigation (AVN) screen, with a visual 16-bar digital display of air quality that fluctuates in real-time. This is categorized according to Korea Environmental Corporation Standards, which categorizes four levels of air quality based on the presence of fine particulate matter: Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor.