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Car manufacturers in China are seeking to reduce health concerns by producing “anti-virus” cars.
The new models aim to provide virus protection in a manner similar to that provided by the muzzle.
Some of the largest auto manufacturers in China have launched new models for this property, including the Geely company, which makes famous black taxis in London.
China saw a sharp drop in car sales in the first quarter of the year during the country’s general closing period.
Geely was the first company to launch an anti-virus car production line, investing in its previous efforts to attract consumers worried about pollution.
The “healthy vehicle project” launched by the company aims to prevent any particles from entering the vehicle to protect passengers and the driver from any harmful substances.
Geely is also developing antimicrobial materials to disinfect the buttons and knobs in the car from bacteria and viruses.
“Consumers spend a lot of time in their car, close to the time they spend in their homes. We can only meet consumer requirements for a better life by making healthier products,” a company spokesman said.
Among the measures the company is taking to prevent direct contact with consumers is the use of drones to deliver car keys to the customer and leave them on the balcony or door.
The company, which owns the MG brand, added an UV source to sterilize the air entering the car through the air conditioner.
The automaker, GAC, is offering a three-stage air filter in many of its new cars.
Research firm Frost & Sullivan believes that these new features are more than just marketing scams.
Vivek Viadia, of the research company mentioned, said that there is a clear focus on the health aspect, and that work on equipping cars with these characteristics had started before Corona, but the new epidemic made the incentives of companies stronger.
It is believed that these options, in addition to dealing with new health challenges, give the models that make them an advantage over others.
“False” allegations
Sean Ren, director of the China Market Research Group, disagrees, saying that companies are trying to take advantage of people’s fear of the Corona virus to sell products and services to consumers and raise prices for their products.
In 2015, Tesla Corporation sold cars with an air purifier targeting consumers worried about urban air pollution.
“Auto makers are trying to present their cars as safe from viruses. But I would like to alert consumers to warn any company that says its products reduce the risk of transmission of viruses, especially corona virus,” says Rein.
The company “Nippon” Paints had said that it had developed a packing material to protect people from infection by contact with surfaces, although it did not name the Corona virus specifically.
The Japanese company added that the packaging material is designed for use in hospitals and donated a quantity of them to four hospitals in Wuhan, China, the focus of the spread of the Corona virus.
This comes at a time when Japanese car sales fell sharply, exceeding 80 percent in February, the largest decline in twenty years. Although March witnessed a slight growth in sales, it remained approximately 43 percent less than it at the same time last year.
April may see continued improvement in sales as people start returning to their jobs and are afraid to use public transportation.
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“With the policy of social divergence and domestic isolation and its impact on our psyche, it will be understood that people avoid public transportation, and this will mean a demand for cars,” said Gianfranco Casati, director of Accenture, for market growth studies.
The Chinese government has taken measures to encourage the growth of car sales, extending the discount on electric cars and the period of the old car swap.
“Our analyzes show that it takes three years to get car sales back to the level they were before Corona,” Vaidia said.
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