Honda creates COVID-19 mask for your car

Honda has announced it is developing a new pollen filter for your car that will be capable of preventing almost all airborne viruses from entering the cabin.

Called the Kurumask, the new filtration system is designed to remove any nasty virus that enters the cabin within 15 minutes, the Japanese car-maker claims.

In testing using the hazardous E.coli virus, the new filter removed 99.8 per cent of the droplets containing the virus within 15 minutes and 99.9 per cent of any traces of the virus after 24 hours.

For the test, Honda used its N-Box kei-car with the Kurumask filter fitted and carried out the experiment with the car's climate control on air-recirculation mode.

Said to employ microscopic spikes on its surface to catch and damage the virus, the team who developed the Kurumask say they were inspired by dragonflies which use similar spikes to keep their wings clean.

The only catch of the new filter tech is, Honda says, the Kurumask is only effective for up to a year.

One of the key motivations behind developing the new filter is Honda is also currently creating a vehicle that can safely transport COVID-19 patients without infecting its driver.

On sale now for owners of the Japanese-market N-Box, Honda says it plans to rapidly roll out the new filters for other models.

Commenting on the new Kurumask, Takahara Echigo, Honda's head of filter development, said: "We want to make drivers feel safe and comfortable even when they keep their car windows closed in cold weather."