Ford developing process to eliminate new car smell

New car smell could be a thing of the past, if a new Ford patent sees the light of day.

American publication Detroit Free Press reports that the manufacturer has filed a patent application for an odour-removal process that would eliminate the smell often associated with a brand-new car from its products — in response to feedback from China.

According to the 2018 J.D Power China Initial Quality Study, 10 per cent of drivers in the Asian country complained about the odour. Brent Gruber, senior director of global automotive at J.D. Power, said: “Unpleasant interior smell/odour remains the top industry problem in that market. To put that in context, it is nearly double the problem rate of the second most prevalent problem, excessive fuel consumption.”

The patent has yet to be approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, but the filed paperwork suggests ‘new-car smell’ is created by organic compounds found in newly-made leather and plastics, which are released in high temperatures.

Detroit Free Press says the process described in the patent would only work on cars with autonomous technology, allowing the vehicle to drive itself to a sun-baked area and effectively bake the scent away.

Speaking to the publication, Debbie Mielewski, senior technical leader in materials sustainability at Ford, said: “While ‘new car smell’ is ingrained in American culture, we know Chinese customers dislike that scent. This patent is the result of years of research and is just one idea we are considering for future use.” The firm did not discuss the patent further.