Hyundai Motor has applied ‘Eco Coating’, a new indoor air purification technology from EMBIOME, to the ‘All-New Kona’ to maintain comfortable indoor air quality.
‘Eco Coating’ is a technology developed by EMBIOME, a company that spun off from an in-house startup, recognizing the growing consumer interest in indoor air quality in vehicles. This environmentally friendly air purification technology combines biotechnology with automotive climate control technology.
EMBIOME has analyzed over 4,000 microorganisms residing in vehicle air conditioning systems to develop a long-lasting microbiome combination that does not produce unpleasant odors and is not harmful.
‘Eco Coating’ is a technology that applies the developed microbiome to the vehicle’s air conditioning evaporator, which is expected to improve indoor air quality while also offering high safety and durability.
The coated microbiome treats various gas components that can cause unpleasant odors, such as volatile organic compounds entering from the outside or generated inside the vehicle, maintaining pleasant indoor air through biological purification actions.
EMBIOME’s microbiome technology has been validated through testing by relevant domestic and international institutions, including the Korea Institute of Toxicology and the Ministry of Environment, and has gained popularity in the Indian market, where air pollution issues are severe, by applying it to strategic models such as the ‘Santro.’
EMBIOME plans to continue developing microbiome technology so that ‘Eco Coating’ can also be used for purifying major greenhouse gases like methane.
A Hyundai official stated, “We plan to expand the application of Eco Coating technology to various models in the future,” adding, “We intend to support EMBIOME to advance into various industrial sectors including the global automotive market.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr