Elon Musk reveals the coolest feature of the Tesla Model X: a bio-weapon defense mode button

midian182

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When Elon Musk revealed the Tesla Model X on Tuesday, the entrepreneur disclosed a surprising fact about the luxury electric SUV: it comes with a bio-weapon defense mode.

During the presentation, which took place at Tesla’s Fremont, California, factory, Musk said that the vehicle will feature a dashboard button - represented by the international symbol for biological hazard - that when pressed would activate medical-grade air filters inside the cabin. The system consists of three layers of activated carbon capable of absorbing hydrocarbons, sulfur and ammonia.

According to Tesla, the filters will "strip outside air of pollen, bacteria, viruses and pollution before circulating it into the cabin." Musk said this filtration system is capable of filtering out particles on a near microscopic scale, and would be able to get rid of toxins and biological weapons. He added that Tesla had trouble getting any available air testing sensors to even detect a measurable level of particles when the HEPA filters – which are 10 times the size of filters found in other cars - were raised to the maximum level.

The all-wheel drive Model X, which start at $132,000, will have a range of 250 miles with a 90 kWh battery. It boasts a top speed of 155 mph and does 0 – 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. The bio-weapon defense button isn’t the only piece of advanced technology found in the Model X; it also has a radar, cameras and a sonar which work together to let the SUV steer, brake and accelerate automatically on certain roads using the Autopilot feature. But for many people, especially ‘Back to the Future’ fans, the best feature of the vehicle is its DeLorean-like ‘falcon wing’ rear doors.

The Model X was unveiled nearly two years later than originally scheduled. Musk has acknowledged that the "difficulty in engineering" some of the SUV's parts had been greater than he had originally expected.

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Only the rich and paranoid need apply. As for the rest of us common folk... "die, so that we may live to enjoy the spoils of you labor. Did you actually think you were good for anything else?"
With that crap out of the way... It's a very nice heap but way to rich for my blood.
 
This is fantastic news! (until you have to get out of the vehicle to find food, water, recharge, pee, retrieve your already-contaminated-and-soon-to-turn-mutant family, etc...) Jokes aside, military grade NBC protection systems on army vehicles (APC's, etc) are actually a maintenance nightmare. Aside from having to change the filters out far more regularly, for genuine non-novelty NBC protection, the rest of the vehicle also needs to have airtight seals on hatches regularly inspected plus some form of over-pressure system. And even then it's not really going to improve your quality of life much beyond the first 24 hours if the bio/chem weapons have just contaminated your entire country's reservoir / fresh water network & farmland, and are accompanied by nukes that have just wiped out every town / city, knocked out the whole electrical network and fried most electrical circuits making electric-only cars probably the worst possible choice for surviving World War 3...

I guess "it's the thought the counts" though, and quite possibly useful to someone who's inside their car whilst outside uncle Billybob proudly releases another of his infamous "Mother Of All Mega-Farts"...
 
The utility of this system is more likely going to be driving through a patch of road where someone hit a skunk, or some sort of other roadkill that is decomposing. Or someone farts in the cabin, but it's too cold/hot outside to crack a window.

A nice feature, but hardly NBC-capable without the attendant maintenance, as Bsim500 pointed out.
 
The utility of this system is more likely going to be driving through a patch of road where someone hit a skunk, or some sort of other roadkill that is decomposing.

Cabin air recycling takes care of that in all vehicles with air conditioning. If Musk is trying to reinvent that wheel, I'll have to reluctantly side with Captain Cranky and conclude that Musk is little more than a corporate jester with an ego .
 
Cabin air recycling takes care of that in all vehicles with air conditioning. If Musk is trying to reinvent that wheel, I'll have to reluctantly side with Captain Cranky and conclude that Musk is little more than a corporate jester with an ego .
Only if you know where the skunk is - and you find out by smelling it. Thus, the air recyled in your cabin is already smelly.
An activated carbon filter will take care of what has already entered your car.
Useless for NBC - useful for farts, skunks, etc.
 
I believe the air filtration system would be mainly aimed at China, where there is plenty of rich to buy them and don't have to breathe the polluted air when driving. Afterall China is promoting EVs.
 
Only if you know where the skunk is - and you find out by smelling it. Thus, the air recyled in your cabin is already smelly.

My point was mainly rhetorical. The simple fact is that this system is useless outside of very special applications. Using an expensive system to address a problem solved by 3 seconds of open windows is dumb. Musk is trying too hard.
 
Only if you know where the skunk is - and you find out by smelling it. Thus, the air recyled in your cabin is already smelly.

My point was mainly rhetorical. The simple fact is that this system is useless outside of very special applications. Using an expensive system to address a problem solved by 3 seconds of open windows is dumb. Musk is trying too hard.

Well if we are ever attacked by mustard gas, it will be up to these brave, lucky folks in their Model X to form the counter offense.

Thank God for you Elon Musk and your uncanny foresight.
 
Only the rich and paranoid need apply. As for the rest of us common folk... "die, so that we may live to enjoy the spoils of you labor. Did you actually think you were good for anything else?"
With that crap out of the way... It's a very nice heap but way to rich for my blood.

Actually air pollution accounts for a lot of deaths around the world. It's even factored into additional runway capacity at airports. Planning projects the number of deaths per year in the surrounding area. In addition the incidence of cancer is rising because of Chernobyl and Fukushima. The world is increasingly toxic.
 
I just read about it, 700+ bhp total from all wheels! On par with a Porsche 911 turbo. Unfortunately like the model S it still looks like a ford to the average joe.
 
Actually air pollution accounts for a lot of deaths around the world. It's even factored into additional runway capacity at airports. Planning projects the number of deaths per year in the surrounding area. In addition the incidence of cancer is rising because of Chernobyl and Fukushima. The world is increasingly toxic.
I know. I remember Donna Summer died from respiratory complications caused by the pollution from 9/11. I suspect a helluva lot more died from the same cause but they never made the news because they simply weren't famous enough, which brings me back to my comment... If you don't have enough money, tough, you'll just have to die. It's sad but it's the way of the world.
 
No. It's more like 3.3. That thing accelerates like a bat out of hell, it has to if you realise it has AWD and max torque from about 1 RPM. It'll embarrass many a supercar with it's acceleration.

It's a soulless EV. It isn't embarrassing anything with a spirit.
 
I just read about it, 700+ bhp total from all wheels! On par with a Porsche 911 turbo. Unfortunately like the model S it still looks like a ford to the average joe.
Well I'm an average Joe, I'll make do with Fords, they're better than walking.
 
The simple fact is that this system is useless outside of very special applications. Using an expensive system to address a problem solved by 3 seconds of open windows is dumb. Musk is trying too hard.

Special applications? Anyone with seasonal allergies would benefit from an air filter. And @Armanian probably gave the most likely answer... it's for drivers in smog covered China.
 
Special applications? Anyone with seasonal allergies would benefit from an air filter. And @Armanian probably gave the most likely answer... it's for drivers in smog covered China.

Most people w/ seasonal allergies would be better served by antihistamines, unless they spend several hours a day in their vehicle. Even so, that's a special application, as is Chinese smog.

It's still cheaper (and cooler) to dawn a gas mask. It still works when the battery dies and, unlike the Tesla, it conceals your identity whenever you have the urge to knock over a CDC facility for, uh, "science."
 
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