Today, the electric vehicle (or EV) industry is growing globally. As the automotive industry increasingly focuses on electric-powered vehicles, the need and type of filtration in this area will change dramatically.
As a leading manufacturer of automotive cabin air filters, I provide OEM services to many electric vehicle brands, such as TESLA, BYD, Changan, Chery, Greatwall, etc. At the same time, I know some of the key points of current electric vehicle cabin air filters very well.
1. Electric drive VS internal combustion power
Ordinary fuel vehicles have over 50 filters, divided into five major categories: oil, air, transmission, cabin, and fuel.
A conventional car requires hundreds of components to convert combustion energy into motion, and the oil filter has the highest turnover rate among these components.
There are no oil filters in electric vehicles, and the only filter category that remains the same from combustion engines to electric cars is cabin air, which typically has one or two cabin air filters per vehicle.
Modern electric vehicles have two main categories of filtration: battery and cabin air.
Battery filters include ventilation and thermal controls. Thermal management of batteries is a new and critical application in electric vehicles, as the air used to cool the vehicle’s batteries must be cleaned before passing through the battery to prevent system damage to it and ancillary components.
2. Engine space
The power system of traditional fuel vehicles is engine + gearbox (AT, DCT, CVT, etc.). The power system of current mainstream pure electric vehicles uses motor + electronic control + single-stage reducer, referred to as an electric drive system.
So, an electric motor takes up nearly 75% less space than an internal combustion engine.
Compared with traditional models, these extra spaces can be used to implement other product features of the vehicle. As a result, car manufacturers now have complete freedom to incorporate new aero-design concepts into their vehicles.
They can use larger-sized or more-stage filtration solutions to meet the air purification needs in some specific environments and the personalized needs of the terminal. Ultimately, end users will have a more comfortable driving experience with maximum protection.
3. Electric vehicle cabin air filters continue to be upgraded
Increased user demand: The epidemic has brought users’ attention to vehicle air quality, and automobile manufacturers have gradually upgraded air conditioning filter configurations
Conditions are met for space upgrade:
- As new energy vehicles replace fuel vehicles, the engine is canceled.
- The front cabin layout space is increased.
- Conditions for cabin air filter upgrade are met.
Cabin air filters continue to be upgraded from single-effect to double-effect, composite, and HEPA filters. Represented by Tesla, the HEPA high-efficiency filter configured on Model X has gradually been introduced to Model Y.
4. Cabin air filter replacement frequency increased
The cabin air filter is a consumable product, and its service life is related to the environment and materials.
In the past, fuel vehicle owners’ understanding of after-sales maintenance was limited to mandatory replacement consumables such as oil filters. They paid little attention to the vehicle’s air quality, and the cabin air filter replacement frequency was low.
With the increased attention brought by the epidemic and the product upgrade of new energy vehicles, the number of cabin air filter replacements by consumers per year continues to grow, gradually increasing from once every 2-3 years to 1-2 times yearly.
Cabin air filters are an essential component that affects the driving experience. Since the epidemic, consumers have significantly increased their attention to the air in their cars.
The product upgrade trend from pollen filter to HEPA filter;
The functional composite trend of “multi-effects in one” and “filtration system upgrade” together provide the “double wings” for upgrading vehicle air consumption and increasingly touch the “pain points” of car owners.
5. Multiple filtration methods can achieve different filtration effects
The cabin air filter structure includes a coarse filter, filter layer, activated carbon, base, etc. The core component is the filter layer, which can be further upgraded to filter PM2.5, bacteria, etc.
There are five ways of filtration, and filter media with different structures have different filtration methods. Filtration methods include barrier, sedimentation, electrostatic adsorption, surface adsorption, and van der Waals adsorption.
Coarse filter: barrier, filter element filter layer: barrier + sedimentation + electrostatic adsorption, activated carbon layer: surface adsorption, HEPA: van der Waals force adsorption + sedimentation.
Compared with traditional fuel vehicles, new energy vehicles pay more attention to air quality and tend to use composite multi-effect filters with multiple functions such as barrier, electrostatic adsorption, and surface adsorption.
6. Different from air filters, cabin air filters still exist in the new energy era
Cabin air filters and air filters are fundamentally different.
Both filter air. The difference is that the cabin air filters filter the air entering the cabin, while the air filter filters the air entering the engine. The cabin air filter is a common component of all cars. The air filter is bound to the internal combustion engine and is shrinking with the development of electrification.
The margin of pure electric vehicle consumables has narrowed, and the value of air conditioning filters has increased. Traditional fuel vehicles contain four filter consumables, while electric vehicles only have one filter consumable, the air conditioning filter.
The front compartment of electric vehicles has sufficient space, and the size and quantity of air conditioning filters that can be installed are larger and more. The number of air conditioning filters installed on bicycles and the value of bicycles have increased. For example, the Tesla Model Y is equipped with up to 4 composite filters and 2 HEPA filters.
7. Functional composite material upgrade
In the context of consumption upgrading and the epidemic, cabin air filters with a single function cannot meet all usage needs. New products with combined odor removal and PM2.5 functions have emerged to meet consumer demands. The functional distinction between the cabin air filter and the coarse filter has been improved, and some models have begun to arrange pre-filters outside the air intake to filter large-sized debris.
Material upgrade: Initially, the single-effect cabin air filter was made of non-woven fabric, which was later upgraded to electret non-woven fabric that can electrostatically adsorb PM2.5, and antibacterial ingredients can be added to achieve sterilization function.
While the functions are compounded, the filter materials are diversified, and materials such as coconut shell activated carbon and HEPA polymer materials have emerged.
8. HEPA cabin air filter, a new direction
HEPA means a high-efficiency particulate filter. As technology advances, the standard definition of HEPA continues to improve. In EN1822, which was implemented in 2009, the definition of HEPA was upgraded from above H10 in the original standard to above H13; that is, the interception effect against 0.3μm particulate matter must reach above 99.95%.
Filters that meet the HEPA level have the following characteristics: a large enough filtration area to ensure high dust-holding capacity and extremely high sealing performance to ensure higher filtration efficiency.
Tesla strongly promotes the HEPA filtration system, and “biochemical defense mode” becomes the standard
In 2021, Tesla announced that it would install a HEPA filtration system on the Model Y and add a “biochemical defense mode” to the air conditioning system. This mode can achieve efficient vehicle air purification through passive and active methods.
For example, in passive mode, The effective filtration area is ten times that of an ordinary cabin air filter; there are three layers of composite activated carbon filter layers, which have medical-grade high-efficiency particle filtration characteristics and effectively block pollen, bacteria, viruses, and pollutants in the air from entering the cabin.
In experimental testing, Tesla’s HEPA filtration system reduced the pollution level in the car from an extremely dangerous 1000 μg/m3 to a level undetectable by the instrument in less than two minutes. Achieve highly efficient in-car purification effect.
9. Cabin air filters from other electric car brands
Tesla’s “biochemical defense mode” has promoted the transformation of cabin air filters from necessities to consumer goods. Other electric vehicle brands have also launched their cabin air filters accordingly.
In recent years, NIO ES8 has been equipped with an intelligent air purification system built with HEPA medical-grade filters, activated carbon filters, negative ion generators, etc.; Xiaopeng G3 is equipped with HEPA filters and HAF filter layers, with a removal efficiency of 99.97 % while also generating negative ions.
Car air has become a promotional tool for various car companies.
Last summary
Automotive cabin air filters are essential to deal with various particulate pollutants, odors, viruses, and mold. By changing the material’s properties, we have completed the upgrade of the cabin air filter, perfectly meeting each car brand’s OEM requirements. With our cabin air filters, you can fully enjoy your driving.
