Ford Files Patent for Tech That Bakes New-Car Smell Out of Vehicles
A well-established trend in the auto industry is the Chinese consumer’s general distaste for the new-car smell. Ford has gone to great lengths to be on the cutting-edge with drivers in China, eliminating the familiar scent from Lincoln vehicles upon the brand’s market debut in 2015 and employing smell ambassadors dubbed “Golden Noses” to help eliminate odors.
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Its efforts to stay at that cutting edge have led the automaker to file a patent for an odor-removal process that effectively bakes the new-car scent right out of a new Ford, Detroit Free Press reports. The process involves parking a vehicle in direct sunlight, cracking the windows, and — if necessary — turning on the heater or fan. The smell would then effectively be baked off the surfaces of the vehicle, and air quality would be monitored by air sensors only capable of being equipped to autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles.
It all sounds very complex, and Ford would not discuss specifics any further with Freep.
“While ‘new-car smell’ is ingrained in American culture, we know Chinese customers dislike that scent. This patent is the result of years of research and is just one idea we are considering for future use,” said Debbie Mielewski, senior technical leader in materials sustainability at Ford.
If you’ve always wondered but never thought to look, the new-car smell is caused by volatile organic compounds found on materials commonly found in vehicles, like rubber, leather, and vinyl. And now you know, which common knowledge suggests is half the battle.
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News Source: The Detroit Free Press
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