The automotive tech wars are as hot as ever, and Jaguar Land Rover is looking to invest in the future in a variety of fields, including autonomous driving and augmented reality driver assists. Now, JLR will step into a new space - disease prevention. Thanks to the implementation of ultraviolet light technology (UV-C) with a vehicle’s onboard heating / ventilation / air conditioning (HVAC) system, JLR hopes to stop the spread of colds, the flu, and other pathogens.

The Tech Isn’t New, But Its Implementation In A Car’s HVAC System Is

Ultraviolet light technology (UV-C) is the same tech used in the medical industry for a variety of purposes.

“UV-C is currently widely used for disinfecting water, filtering air, and sterilizing surfaces by utilizing wavelengths of light between 200 - 280 nanometers,” JLR explains in the attached press release.

As JLR points out, this could even help fight the spread of drug-resistant “superbugs.”

In fact, JLR claims that if UV-C is integrated with a car’s air filtration system, it could potentially reduce the transmission of “major superbugs” by as much as 30 percent.

“The average motorist spends as much as 300 hours per year behind the wheel,” JLR says. “There is a clear opportunity to better utilize cars for administering preventative healthcare.”

Personally, I think it’s kinda funny we need to turn to our cars for adequate healthcare, but hey, I guess that’s the age we live in.

Of course, the idea of sterilizing a car’s cabin air is nothing new. This system also provides additional benefits by combating odor and various allergens.

All told, I can’t help but be reminded of the Bio Weapon Defense Mode in the the Tesla Model X all-electric SUV, which uses a medical-grade HEPA air filter to keep the cabin air as clean as that of an operating room, even if there’s a military-grade bio weapon attack outside the vehicle.

Unfortunately, it’s likely this sort of feature will become more and more important in the future, given that climate change has been linked with the wider spread of infectious diseases.

Further Reading

Jaguar Land Rover Demonstrates All-Terrain Self-Driving Research

Jaguar Land Rover Goes Off-Road With Its Autonomous Technology

Read our full review on the 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.