Volkswagen has begun to fit all its models with an activated carbon filter. The technology has been available for a long time as part of the Air Care Climatronic option, which filters out pollen, bacteria, fungal spores and particulates before they make their way through the ventilation system into the interior.

Furthermore, the filter technology with activated carbon layer also converts harmful gases such as nitrogen dioxide, leaving the interior air cleaner and less disturbing. Pollen, bacteria, fungal spores, particulates and harmful gases (NO_x) increasingly present health issues.

Besides direct health issues, harmful gases in a car interior are dangerous for drivers for other reasons. On the one hand, the lack of fresh air in the interior can quickly make a driver tired and unfocused. On the other hand, pollen, bacteria and other minute particles can cause allergic reactions, which also represent a risk to road safety. Sneezing distracts the driver for roughly two seconds—two seconds during which the ability to react is limited and, as a result, the braking distance increases.

One of the greatest advantages of an activated carbon filter for the interior is how effectively it handles harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) gas formed during the combustion process. The activated carbon is capable of reducing the NO₂ concentration, thus making for a more pleasant journey.

The Air Care Climatronic air purification system already offered uses an air quality sensor that is more effective than a classic filter, due to the use of activated carbon with an allergen layer. This disables even the tiniest allergens. When the Air Care function is activated on the air conditioning menu, the incoming fresh air and the proportion of recirculated air inside the car are mixed and cleaned so that the quality of the air remains at a constant high level. In addition, the air quality sensor constantly (every millisecond, to be exact) registers excessive levels of certain pollutants in the outside air and switches to recirculation mode if necessary.

From now on, every Volkswagen will be standard-equipped with the activated carbon filter with allergen function. This is especially good news for customers who previously purchased a car without Climatronic (which will continue to be available as an option).

The majority of older cars can also be retrofitted with the new activated carbon filter with allergen layer.