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Tesla tests filter system with polluted bubble

Posted at 8:23 AM, May 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-04 08:36:31-04

What do you get when you throw a Tesla Model X into a polluted bubble and turn on the Bioweapon Defense Mode? Clean cabin air, apparently.

That special mode in select Tesla models aims to protect drivers and their passengers from air pollution. 

When the Bioweapon Defense Mode button is pushed, the cabin is pressurized as a special filter works to clean the incoming air, according to Tesla. 

The company boasted about tests of their air filtration system in arecent blog post.

From California freeways during rush hour to major cities in China, Tesla researchers found their HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filtration system managed to strip the outside air of pollutants before it entered the cabin. The air inside of the vehicle was also scrubbed clean, according to the automaker.

Telsa even put one of their vehicles into a giant bubble and pumped it full of pollutants. After activating the Bioweapon Defense Mode, the company says researchers were  eventually able to take off their masks within the bubble.

The system also reportedly started to reduce pollutants in the air surrounding the vehicle in minutes.

Tesla emphasizes in the blog post that it's not a marketing statement. They even went as far as to say you could "survive a military grade bio attack by sitting in your car."

But is that entirely true? Forbes and Gizmodo explore the claim further.