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Hyundai and Kia Introduce Plasma Care UVC for Occupied Vehicle Cabins

Following strong lab and PV5 tests that showed rapid disinfection, the system remains in research and development pending international safety validation.

Overview

  • Plasma Care UVC uses a plasma lamp plus an optical filter to produce far‑UVC light aimed at disinfecting open cabins while people are present.
  • Laboratory work reported by Seoul National University and Korea Testing Laboratory showed rapid bacterial kills (99.9% of pneumonia‑causing bacteria in about 30 seconds) and large drops in airborne virus levels (about 96.8% in a 30‑minute sealed chamber test).
  • A real‑vehicle trial on the Kia PV5 with the Korea Automotive Technology Institute recorded a 99.9% reduction of E. coli after 40 minutes of exposure inside the van.
  • Hyundai and Kia say they engineered the unit for cars by using a compact, rugged housing and vibration‑ and temperature‑tolerant components to meet vehicle power and durability limits.
  • The companies have not given a production timeline and say the technology must clear broader safety validation and regulatory review before commercial use in shared or purpose‑built vehicles.