In yet another example of a manufacturer working overtime to solve a pandemic-related problem in record time, Ford has unveiled a solution that helps law enforcement better sanitize their vehicles.
If you’re experiencing elevated anxiety levels throughout this pandemic, you may want to fast-forward to the end, because what I’m about to describe to you is tailor-made for nightmares.
Here goes.
Ford has unveiled a software feature that burns the germs out of the Explorer police SUVs being used by the New York Police Department. Using a combination of the vehicle’s cabin ventilation system and its engine, the interior temperature of the cruiser can be raised to 133 degrees Fahrenheit for a 15-minute stretch, effectively killing 99% of germs, including coronavirus.
The process for initiating the oven is said to be complicated enough that it won’t be set into motion on accident. Ford says it involves a special series of switches and buttons, and that the user would need to be “paying attention” in order to start the process. Once its activated, the user leaves the vehicle and the doors automatically lock.
But don’t panic, panickers: if, by chance, you’re still inside when the process starts, any adjustment of the controls — such as pressing a pedal or moving the gear shift — stops it automatically.
According to CNN Business, this heating process is actually superior to other germ-killing techniques because it reaches every single area of the interior, especially hard-to-reach places that a disinfectant spray might miss.
Ford vehicle interiors are reportedly heat-tested to 176 degrees during routine quality control, so they won’t be damaged by the process. The only damage will come to your psyche as you think about the germ-killing SUV oven as you lay awake at night.
