The Airo concept car can be used without a driver and has flexible seating that allows occupants to have a meal HEATHERWICK
An electric car that hoovers up pollution from other vehicles could be on the road in two years under plans drawn up by a British designer.
London-based Heatherwick Studio has announced proposals for a Chinese-built green car that uses a powerful internal filtering system to suck in pollutants that can contribute to breathing problems and even premature death.
Under the proposal, the Airo car is also capable of being used in driverless mode, with a flexible interior designed to be easily reconfigured to suit different needs. This includes creating a dining room-style space complete with a table and facing seats to allow occupants to enjoy a meal or reclining seats that can be turned into a double bed.
Airo, unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show, is likely to be one of the cleanest vehicles on the market by producing no exhaust emissions of its own while cleaning those generated by other cars. It is expected to go into production in 2023.
It follows the launch of a bus along similar lines in the UK. Go-Ahead, the transport operator, trialed a single-decker bus in Southampton that uses fans to direct pollution into a filter system. The buses are designed to remove up to 99.5 percent of ultra-fine particles up to a height of ten meters.
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