Practical use of the bioweapon defense mode feature

[AudubonB]

That's what the bioweapon defense window controls are for.

 

[anticitizen13.7]

The difference is that bioweapon mode pressurizes the cabin slightly, so that any leakage around the door and window seals will be outwards. Useful if you have a high risk from a 1 ppm concentration of something that's currently outside which the filter will capture (like say a bioweapon - though to be truly effective there you need to already be in the car when the risk starts, and have a plan to decontaminate the outside of the car before you get out.)

Although Tesla promotes the Model X upgraded HVAC as a bioweapon defense, I think that bioweapon attacks are an unlikely scenario. Detonating a weapon that can deploy an environmentally hardy aerosol with some pathogen is not an easy task. Thinking back to the anthrax attacks in the U.S. Mail more than a decade ago, these were targeted letters containing white powder. It would be hard to spread something like this short of buying a crop duster and modifying the sprayer system. A terrorist is not likely to do this, as a plane is easily tracked.

Where I do see the "bioweapon defense mode" as possibly useful is with industrial accidents. Suppose a factory explodes or a train derails, spewing a cloud of toxic chemicals into the air. The charcoal filters and positive pressure will keep the chemicals out.

But yes, there definitely would need to be a plan to wash the car down if it was misted with toxic chemicals. I remember during the first Gulf War in 1991, the U.S. Army had set up big car wash type facilities to decontaminate tanks and other vehicles.

 

[Kandiru]

For countries where profiteering industrialists with red party tickets in their shirt pockets
could care less about the environment.

 

[Zybane]

I think people are getting out of touch with reality with the bio-weapon defense mode.

First, it requires the fan to go to max level of 11. Who wants to listen to a loud fan all the time?

Second, there are plenty of particles that the filter won't catch (some smog, viruses, fumes, gases etc):

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/as...rticles_size_makes_all_the_difference_508.pdf

It's an interesting feature and should filter out most garbage in the air, but bio-weapon defense mode still draws in all of it's air from the outside for the over-pressurization of the cabin. Meaning the filter is still the weak link and it will be loud.

 

[vankie]

Oh, no doubt it's a marketing thing. I'm no expert in how the filter or this "bio defense" mechanism works and I'd expect 99 out of 100 Tesla customers in China to have no clue either. But here's the thing: you have a megacity of 20M+ people where (1) an ICE car will cost you $20K to register and you have to win a lottery with a <1/20 chance before you can do that, (2) on a smoggy day when the PM 2.5 reading is above a certain level (400 or 500, can't remember exactly) only half of the ICE cars will be allowed onto the roads (depending on the last digit of your license plate #) and (3) you know the air on those days is literally poisonous and each breath of it shortens the life expectancy of you and your family. In a market like that, if a manufacturer can advertise its car as having a "bio hazard defense" mode and have some technical stories to back up that claim, it is probably not a bad idea to make a lot of noise about it. So, while I agree with your technical assessment and expect nobody in that market to really understand how this bio defense stuff works, I expect Tesla's China sales and marketing team to put a lot of emphasis on it when they talk to the potential customers.

As mentioned above by a couple of us, I think you're mis-understanding bioweapon defense mode. I'm pretty sure the car will always be drawing its fresh cabin air through the HEPA filters, whether in normal or bioweapon mode.

The difference is that bioweapon mode pressurizes the cabin slightly, so that any leakage around the door and window seals will be outwards. Useful if you have a high risk from a 1 ppm concentration of something that's currently outside which the filter will capture (like say a bioweapon - though to be truly effective there you need to already be in the car when the risk starts, and have a plan to decontaminate the outside of the car before you get out.)

The slight overpressure will be irrelevant in normal operation, especially in places where the air that you exchanged when you opened the doors is the same as the air you're protecting against - Tesla gave you good tight seals on the windows and doors already, it's not like there will be big drafts of bad air coming in.
Walter

 

[Caligula]

1
3) Why would I not use it for everyday driving?

a) You might not want to use it if you enjoy nature's air more than artificial filtered air.

Can someone explain to me what this "artificial air" is? Is it akin to the inorganic milk that must exist, as I see "organic milk" labels all the time? :wink:

 

[jerry33]

Can someone explain to me what this "artificial air" is? Is it akin to the inorganic milk that must exist, as I see "organic milk" labels all the time? :wink:

I believe it's an imprecise use of an adjective. The correct adjective would be "filtered".

 

[Vitold]

Oh, no doubt it's a marketing thing. I'm no expert in how the filter or this "bio defense" mechanism works and I'd expect 99 out of 100 Tesla customers in China to have no clue either. But here's the thing: you have a megacity of 20M+ people where (1) an ICE car will cost you $20K to register and you have to win a lottery with a <1/20 chance before you can do that, (2) on a smoggy day when the PM 2.5 reading is above a certain level (400 or 500, can't remember exactly) only half of the ICE cars will be allowed onto the roads (depending on the last digit of your license plate #) and (3) you know the air on those days is literally poisonous and each breath of it shortens the life expectancy of you and your family. In a market like that, if a manufacturer can advertise its car as having a "bio hazard defense" mode and have some technical stories to back up that claim, it is probably not a bad idea to make a lot of noise about it. So, while I agree with your technical assessment and expect nobody in that market to really understand how this bio defense stuff works, I expect Tesla's China sales and marketing team to put a lot of emphasis on it when they talk to the potential customers.

What's so complicated about it? If one can filter incoming air with enough efficacy to maintain slight positive pressure in the cabin you have 'bio weapon defense' mode. The unknown is how often we will need to clean or replace the filters and how much it'll cost.

- - - Updated - - -

I think people are getting out of touch with reality with the bio-weapon defense mode.

First, it requires the fan to go to max level of 11. Who wants to listen to a loud fan all the time?

Second, there are plenty of particles that the filter won't catch (some smog, viruses, fumes, gases etc):

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/as...rticles_size_makes_all_the_difference_508.pdf

It's an interesting feature and should filter out most garbage in the air, but bio-weapon defense mode still draws in all of it's air from the outside for the over-pressurization of the cabin. Meaning the filter is still the weak link and it will be loud.

That's interesting doc, however min and max data can be misleading if you don't know size distribution.

As to the loudness of the fan, cfm needed will depend on how much air is escaping the cabin.

 

[EchoDelta]

For countries where profiteering industrialists with red party tickets in their shirt pockets
could care less about the environment.

Yeah, I do think it is nice to see an american factory taking leadership producing cars that protect the citizens of countries with bad emission regulation sponsored by USG that are full of factories making the products bought by mostly USA and EU. The added irony is that it is very likely some of those industrialists may be the first customer demographic to get an X once the initial super early adopter wave is over.
</offtopic>

Seriously, if I lived in a pollution-heavy city or spent a lot of time in clogged highways, I'd use it; and I love this feature even if 'bioweapon defense' is a somewhat caricaturish name.

 

[Aljohn]

Hard to understand in the US, we reduced out industrial air pollution decades ago. China is one of the largest markets for Tesla. There air quality issues are extremely important. Executives there would love the X. It has the space, chauffeur ability and style for China's growing middle and upper (cash rich) classes. Musk knew what he was doing....

 

[Vitold]

Hard to understand in the US, we reduced out industrial air pollution decades ago.

I don't care if, overall, my air is cleaner while driving behind a diesel bus or truck. Better car filter will be useful in many cities, including US cities, not just China.

 

[ModelX]

Exactly! SLC in the winter often has very poor air quality!

 

[Spidy]

First, it requires the fan to go to max level of 11. Who wants to listen to a loud fan all the time?

Do you have any source for this? I would really love to see a video if anything happens when you turn it on.

 

[Zybane]

Do you have any source for this? I would really love to see a video if anything happens when you turn it on.

This article claims that Tesla told them that the fan goes to max "11":

Bioweapon Experts Arens Bioweapon Defense Mode [Updated]

 

[hybridbear]

Any new information on being able to use this regularly or filter replacement? Is there a special filter for Bioweapon Defense Mode or is the air always flowing through the HEPA filter?

 

[Pink Duck]

I have used cabin over-pressure (aka Bioweapon Defense Mode) daily for 4 years without replacing the filter and with auto cabin fan rate stepping up from a maximum of 8 when new to 9. Some service centres recommend changing only when fan speed gets to 10. It’s best used when driving on highly frequented roads, as they have the highest air pollution, even more so than queuing traffic. Even if HVAC is off the incoming cabin air is filtered, but the ~17% leaking in through cracks/gaps under standard pressure is not.

 

[mtbwalt]

Bioweapons defense mode use case scenario: