How serious are the health risks for drivers and passengers each day as they breathe in polluted air during their commute to work? Quite serious.
Car drivers and passengers at risk with air pollution
While vehicle emissions have been a long-time concern for pedestrians, it appears that drivers and passengers inside those vehicles are exposed to even more toxic air than the pedestrians outside in close vicinity to the cars. This emphasizes the urgent need, as well as a lucrative business opportunity, for the car and mobility industries to monitor and improve air quality inside cars by developing new technology that will reduce air pollutants inside cars, while simultaneously increasing customer satisfaction and trust.
An interesting and impactful air quality experiment was conducted in London, England by Healthy Air Campaign, King's College London and Camden Council when they compared air pollution exposure in London among cyclists, pedestrians, bus passengers, and drivers or passengers in a car. The surprising results showed that pedestrians and cyclists were exposed to lower levels of pollutants than the drivers and passengers inside the vehicles, with cars trapping the highest levels of pollutants.
Air pollution can be a competitive advantage
This research opens up the market for car makers to inform and engage with car users while offering solutions for cleaner air. As public awareness increases, monitoring and controlling air pollution becomes a differentiation and selling point, much needed in the highly competitive market of the car industry. The market disruptor Tesla is already using inside air quality as a competitive advantage.
Ford CEO, Mark Fields, is also remaining competitive by testing air quality solutions (among other things) with Ford Smart Mobility. As this auto giant is seizing the opportunity to search for solutions to help its customers breathe easier, it emphasizes the growing trend and need for the automotive industry to include air quality monitoring and pollution reduction solutions in any new car technology.
Hybrid or electric cars are not the perfect solution
This urgency is skyrocketing since the solution of hybrid or green cars that we had all hoped and waited for to solve the car pollution crisis did not entirely live up to our expectations. Mail Online reported on a research that was published in the journal of Atmospheric Environment on the dangerous pollutants that are emitted from the brakes and tires of the clean cars of the future.
Cars need embedded air quality information
These health concerns present both an urgency and an opportunity for the car and mobility industry to take active steps to protect drivers and passengers by engaging and informing the users, and providing relevant solutions through technology.
The smart car of the future should be able to transmit real-time air pollution information to the driver, in the form of an air quality scale, an air quality map that completes the GPS map, and alerts for pollution events. It should provide solutions and impactful recommendations based on pollution, such as closing the windows, activating pollution filters, using recycled air, or rerouting to a greener route. Car drivers and passengers are guaranteed to feel safe, empowered to protect their health, and as a result satisfied with their vehicle.
Integrating air quality in cars can be fast and simple
Air quality information can be easily integrated into car software through an API connection, so there aren’t any barriers to creating the next ground-breaking solution for reducing air pollution in vehicles. By integrating BreezoMeter’s air quality technology and data into mobility solutions, car makers will ensure their customers are healthy and satisfied, and their business future-proof.
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