en.Wedoany.com Reported - Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors have developed the world's first far ultraviolet-C light technology for cabin disinfection, named "Plasma Care UVC." This system uses plasma lamps to generate far UVC light in the 200-230 nanometer wavelength range, which can penetrate and destroy the DNA of viruses and bacteria. However, due to its limited skin penetration depth, it only reaches the outermost layer of human skin (the stratum corneum) and is considered safe for occupants.
This technology differs from traditional UVC sterilization using 255-280 nanometer wavelengths, which is harmful to humans and can only be used in enclosed spaces, such as toothbrush sterilizers or vehicle glove compartments. Hyundai previously offered UV phone sanitizing compartments in models like the Santa Fe SUV, but the new system can disinfect the entire cabin. To address challenges such as the confined cabin space and the proximity of the UV light source to passengers, engineers optimized lamps originally used in large hospitals and school spaces, reducing their size and power consumption for automotive use. Additional filters were added to ensure only safe wavelengths pass through, and the lamps were reinforced to withstand vehicle vibrations and heat.
Hyundai Motor verified the system's performance in collaboration with third-party organizations. The Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL) confirmed in an 8-cubic-meter cabin environment simulator that airborne viruses were reduced by 96.8% within 30 minutes. Joint research with Seoul National University’s Agriculture and Life Sciences Venture Center demonstrated that 99.9% of pneumonia-causing bacteria were inactivated after 30 seconds of exposure to far UVC light, with complete inactivation within 60 seconds. The Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH) conducted a real-vehicle evaluation on a Kia PV5, showing that 99.9% of Escherichia coli was inactivated after 40 minutes of irradiation.
Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors modified a Hyundai PV5 all-electric minivan as a prototype, converting it into a school bus to showcase the technology's potential for customized vehicles such as children's school buses and fruit transport vehicles. Han Joo Jang, Senior Research Engineer at Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors' MPV and Small Vehicle Interior Engineering Design Group 2, stated that this technology was developed for open cabin environments with occupants, surpassing traditional disinfection methods limited to enclosed areas. It is expected to serve as a cabin hygiene solution for future mobility scenarios such as autonomous driving and customized vehicles.
