Coronavirus: This Chinese auto company claims its car can fight off Covid-19

Coronavirus has steadily spread across the world after originating in China's Wuhan in December of 2019. With over 95,000 infected and over 3,000 killed globally, no vaccine has so far been deemed worthy of fighting coronavirus - officially named Covid-19. While precautions against it are being advised to people all over, a major Chinese auto maker has now claimed that its car is equipped to keep the deadly virus at bay.

Geely, a renowned name in Chinese auto industry and whose parent company owns Volvo and Lotus, recently introduced its compact SUV called Icon. The company at the launch said that the Icon comes with an advanced filtration system that is capable of air purification and filtering viruses such as coronavirus.

Geely has claimed the filtration system of the Icon was developed in record time and that it is N95 certified. "In response to the new Coronavirus epidemic, Geely Auto developed in record time, a new Intelligent Air Purification System (IAPS) that is N95 certified," the company informed in a press statement. "This highly efficient air purification system works in tandem with the ICON’s air conditioner to isolate and eliminate harmful elements in the cabin air including bacteria and viruses."

Photo courtesy: Geely

N95 translates to capabilities of keeping 95% of particles smaller than 0.3 microns out of the vehicle.

At a time when N95 masks are flying off market shelves in most parts of the world, the technology in a car's filtration system could indeed bring about a sigh of relief.

While the claims of Geely have not been independently verified, the company has said that it had already received 30,000 orders for the Icon even before the compact SUV was officially launched. Previously, the company had said that it has set aside an amount of $53 million specifically for a system that would protect occupants in its cars from harmful viruses and polluted air.

Filtration systems are becoming increasingly common in cars even if N95 filtration unit has not been experimented with so far. With pollution levels in countries like China and India posing a massive threat to human life, car makers have been advertising filtration systems as an additional reason to choose thier vehicles.

Amid the coronavirus scare, an effective filtration - if independently verified - could come as a precautionary measure. As for Geely and the Icon, the vehicle is currently only available in China.