Originally published on X Auto.
by Iqtidar Ali | @IqtidarAlii
The Tesla Model S and Model X have one of the best high-efficiency particulate matter (HEPA) air filters in the entire automotive industry. The Tesla Model 3 also has a good air filtration system, but being a smaller car than the S or X, its filters are comparably smaller in size and do not have the HEPA filtration capability.
In the following video, Tesla Raj takes us on a journey of how to remove the stock non-HEPA Tesla Model 3 filters and install new aftermarket HEPA filters to further increase the cabin air quality of the car.
Last year, when the California wildfires took the region by storm, the Tesla Model S & Model X’s Bioweapon Defense Mode actually helped people escape and reach a safe destination from the thickly smoked air of the burning woods. Those with a Model 3 may want similar capability.
Removing and re-installing the Model 3 air filters requires some technical experience handling the required tools, working with nuts and bolts, and removing the clips. Raj was fearless enough to be able to attempt this on his beautiful car while showing others how to do it.
Is there a better filter then the already great OEM filter for the model 3?!? I test @evtuning HEPA filter.
Video: https://t.co/qxKa0iEMm7 pic.twitter.com/dYhXduCh8z— Tesla Raj 🕺🏽 (@tesla_raj) September 3, 2019
Above: Tesla Model 3 stock vs aftermarket HEPA air filter. Photo by Tesla Raj (@tesla_raj / Twitter).
Above: HEPA filter diagram by LadyofHats, in the public domain.
To get the best results from the stock Tesla Model 3 air filters, Elon Musk communicated the following instructions in a tweet:
Set air flow to recirculating mode & manually raise blower speed to 5 in Model 3 for best air quality. Air filters are smaller than S/X, so clear air is achieved by circulating through filter several times. https://t.co/vQCcrwZgmC
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 17, 2018
Tesla Model 3 not having HEPA grade filters installed right from the factory might have to do with the additional cost and sourcing issues it adds to the manufacturing process. The pair of HEPA filters installed by Raj in the above video cost ~$100. If they were installed in 500,000 Model 3s, that means the filters alone would cost around $50 million (excluding economies of scale, of course, but still surely expensive).
HEPA filters perform exceptionally well in cleaning out particulate matters under 2.5 micron, which includes bacteria, allergens, soot/smog, and even 0.01-micron viruses — great for the health of Tesla owners who live in more polluted cities with high PM levels.
There’s no better feeling than breathing fresh clean air!
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