Valeo claims to have developed the world's most powerful air sterilisation system for bus and coach cabins. Upon activation, the system eliminates, in a single airflow cycle, more than 95% of viruses, including Covid-19, as well as any bacteria or mould present in the air circulating in the cabin.

Irrespective of the source of infection, whether inside or outside the vehicle, the Valeo-designed modules are effective throughout the vehicle’s journey with passengers onboard.

The Valeo devices are available as a standalone solution box or they can be directly integrated into the vehicle’s air conditioning systems. They use ultraviolet light technology, similar to that used in medical and hospital facilities. The UV rays work as both a bactericide and a germicide and can kill microbes such as viruses and pathogens. The rays stop these microbes from spreading and can be used as an alternative to other disinfection methods, avoiding the use of chemical products.

Valeo has created a unique solution integrating a UV light provided by one of the leading global experts in the technology, and a ‘light labyrinth’, which blocks the UV rays from spreading outside of the metal box, ensuring that passengers are never exposed to them. Only the air circulating in the ventilation box is purified by the light.

On July 10, 2020, the Institute of Medical Virology at the Goethe University Hospital in Frankfurt confirmed the technology’s virucidal efficacy.

The Valeo solution has recently been integrated as original equipment in vehicles manufactured by a Brazilian bus maker. It is designed to be compatible with buses and coaches of all types and sizes, air‑conditioned or not, and to withstand all weather conditions. Valeo now plans to bring these systems to markets in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Valeo says its air purifiers will also be offered to operators of vehicles already on the road, as they can be adapted to existing ventilation systems or retrofitted to non-air-conditioned vehicles.

Valeo is also working to roll out this technology to passenger vehicles.

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