Volvo Cars has introduced air quality technology in its cars.

The company’s new Advanced Air Cleaner technology comes with a sensor that measures PM_2.5 (fine particle pollution) levels inside the cabin.

In China, where PM_2.5 measurements and related information services are well-established, Volvo drivers can also compare air quality inside the cabin to that outside the car.

Indicating the amount of fine particulate matters in the air, PM_2.5 is a widely-used measure for air quality. Globally, many urban areas suffer from PM_2.5 values that exceed recommended levels by the World Health Organisation, underlining the need to minimise their impact.

Available on all 90 and 60 Series Volvo models based on the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) since this spring, the Advanced Air Cleaner cleans out fine particulate matters from the cabin. Thanks to a synthetic fibre-based filter and ionisation, up to 95 per cent of all PM_2.5 particles are kept out of the cabin.

This optimises air quality inside the car, limiting the adverse health effects that are associated with air pollution and fine particules.

Drivers of relevant Volvo models can also use the Volvo On Call smartphone app (where available) to easily schedule an extra cleaning of the cabin air ahead of their journey. The app then tells drivers about the actual PM_2.5 levels inside the cabin after cleaning.

“With our Advanced Air Cleaner technology, you can rest assured that the air you breathe inside your Volvo is cleaner and healthier,” said Anders Löfvendahl, Senior Technical Expert on Cabin Air Quality at Volvo Cars. “We believe that clean air is good for you, both from a health and from a safety perspective, and will continue to push the envelope in this area.”