New cars may soon lose their signature interior odor. More and more attention is being paid to the harmful effects of chemicals used in interiors. In the future, manufacturers may be encouraged by new regulations to use ’emission-free materials’.
In this context, ’emissions’ does not mean so much the CO2 emissions that are released during manufacture, for example, but rather the emissions of materials that make up the interior of the average car. A new car smells so strongly because of the chemicals these materials, including plastics, adhesives and textiles, emit. According to the British Autocar Research shows that most of the health problems resulting from this occur in Asia. This mainly concerns allergic reactions such as fatigue, irritation to the eyes, nausea and shortness of breath. In response to this, the Chinese government has instituted new regulations. This obliges manufacturers to use odorless and largely emission-free materials from July 2021. Of course, the rule also applies to European manufacturers operating on the Chinese market.
But attention is being paid to this problem not only in Asia, but also on this side of the world. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has been working on this topic since 2014 and updated its guidelines for indoor air quality in June. The UN resolution is limited to encouraging car manufacturers to make less use of harmful materials. Contrary to the regulations in China, countries and manufacturers do not have to adhere to this. The UN directive does, however, provide a framework within which governments and the European Union may draw up rules.
As a consumer, what will you possibly notice from this development? First of all, of course, that your new car will smell less strongly. But because manufacturers have to develop and test the new materials, the purchase prices may also go up slightly.