Sunday , February 9 2025

Clever car tech helps hay fever sufferers

No more sneezing - Skoda develops technology to combat in-car hay fever sufferingThe latest technology available in the new Skoda Scala hatchback will delight the UK’s 13 million hay fever sufferers who are plagued by the condition every summer.

With hay fever season in full swing and pollen counts reaching high levels, drivers are being advised to avoid drowsiness inducing medication, keep windows closed and use air conditioning on recycle air mode.

However, the Scala’s state-of-the-art dual zone Climatronic air-con means drivers and passengers no longer need to take their own precautions as the technology defaults to an energy-saving recirculation mode and stops the pollen entering the inside of the car helping to reduce symptoms of sneezing, coughing and itchy eyes.

No more sneezing - Skoda develops technology to combat in-car hay fever suffering

Unlike normal air-conditioning systems, the Scala uses a special cabin filter and air quality sensor to filter out the pollen. Once sneeze-inducing air particles are sensed, the system will automatically shut off the outside air inlet to stop the air particles from entering the car.

The sophisticated system also acts to provide quick relief in sweltering temperatures. Skoda has employed aerodynamics expertise to monitor the direction and velocity of the airflow inside the car to ensure that cool air is delivered quickly and efficiently to the driver and passengers.

In addition, Climatronic uses multiple sensors to monitor both inside and outside temperature and humidity. The Scala features an extra sunlight sensor that can detect not only the intensity, but also the direction of the sun’s rays. It can then adjust the air temperature for the left or right side of the car, for far more efficient cooling.

Thousands of hours have been spent developing and testing in-car conditions through every traffic scenario. During testing, fluorescent lamps were used to simulate a burning sun at 1,000W per m2, which is an equivalent heat intensity to the Arizona desert.

About Gareth Herincx

Gareth is a versatile journalist, copywriter and digital editor who's worked across the media in newspapers, magazines, TV, teletext, radio and online. After long stints at the BBC, GMTV and ITV, he now specialises in motoring.

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