When Tesla->ke1842 introduced the Model X->ke4202 back in late 2015, it announced that it would come with a Bioweapon Defense Mode that sounded more like an Easter egg than a revolutionary feature. Turns out, this Bioweapon Defense Mode could, in fact, be more than just legit; it might actually end up saving some lives. Tesla proved as much when it showcased the technology->ke1701 in an in-house test, placing a Model X inside a large bubble that contained extremely high levels of pollution, specifically 83 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s “good” rating.

Once the toxic air engulfed the Model X, the vehicle’s HEPA filtration system went to work, rendering the pollution levels impotent to the point that sensors couldn’t even detect traces of any pollution left inside the bubble. According to Tesla, the filtration system was able to eliminate bacteria, pollen, and pollution from outside the car before it could have seeped through the cabin. And if any did manage to penetrate the car, the air inside the Model X eliminated any and all traces in less than two minutes, essentially turning the cabin of the SUV->ke145 into a mobile sterile room.

It may sound like Call of Duty-type technology, and it might as well be, considering that one of its main objectives is to protect occupants of the Model X - and the Model S - from getting in a military grade attack made up of bioweapons. Not surprisingly, Tesla is already working on tweaking the technology in order to improve on its capabilities.

Not that it should matter, but if anything, this type of technology just goes to show how forward-thinking Tesla is when it comes to coming up with ideas for its cars. A bioweapon defense mode? I don’t think anybody would’ve thought of something like that other than Q., and he doesn’t exist in the real world.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Why it matters

There’s something to be said for an automaker that can think of something like a “Bioweapon Defense Mode” to put into its cars. I don’t know what that “something” is just yet, but I do know that it takes an incredible amount of creativity, foresight, or just plain old genius to come up with something like that. And let’s not forget, this isn’t a cartoon feature; it’s an actual thing that Tesla has already demonstrated successfully.

It sounds silly now because it’s not needed at the moment and let’s all hope that nobody ever gets to use it. Let’s be real about it. As much as I appreciate Tesla for thinking of something like this, I don’t want to be that guy who would be forced to use the feature in the real world because being in that situation implies that I’m right in the middle of a bioweapon attack. Sorry, but I’d rather be somewhere a lot safer in the event such a thing happens. But if it does happen (knock on wood that it never does), this Bioweapon Defense Mode could turn into a life-saving technology for anybody who is unfortunate enough to find themselves in a situation where they’ll have to use it.

I think that’s what’s getting lost in this discussion. None of us can really know the real value of the technology until we’re in a compromised position and there’s no other choice but to use it. So give a lot of credit to Tesla for thinking of something like this when it would’ve been perfectly fine if it didn’t do anything with it in the first place. I mean, if this technology can also reduce the level of pollution outside the car by 40 percent in a matter of minutes on top of everything I’ve mentioned, then you know it’s something that could come in handy in the future.

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but like that popular saying goes, “better be prepared before you-know-what hits the fan”.

Tesla Model X

Read our full review of the Tesla Model X here.