Panasonic's nanoe^™ X Air Quality Solution Creates Comfortable Travel Space for Grabs' Premium Vehicles

Osaka, Japan – Panasonic Corporation today announced, in collaboration with Grab Holdings Inc. (Grab), the leading everyday superapp in Southeast Asia, to further raise GrabCar Premium standards by providing cleaner and more comfortable travelling experience for GrabCar Premium passengers using nanoe^™ X. The initiative will see 5,500 GrabCar Premium vehicles in five cities across four countries (Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi (Vietnam), and Jakarta (Indonesia)) be equipped with nanoe^™ X generators, which will be available from the middle of January 2021.

In recent years, interest in air quality has been increasing worldwide. Under the slogan of "QUALITY AIR FOR LIFE" mainly in Southeast Asia, Panasonic is providing air quality solutions that control temperature, humidity, ventilation, and airflow to deliver high-quality air environments tailored to homes, stores, offices, etc. At the core of these solutions is Panasonic’s proprietary nanoe^™*1 clean technology.

nanoe^™ is a nanosized particulate ion produced by applying a high voltage to water in the air and contains hydroxyl radicals (highly reactive components) that easily act on various substances. The production of these hydroxyl radicals has been increased tenfold compared to conventional products, and nanoe^™ X is used in home appliances such as air purifiers, air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators, as well as in automobiles, trains, and commercial air conditioning equipment because of its various effects such as deodorisation^*2, suppression of bacteria^*3 and allergens^*4.

Image of using the nanoe^™ X generator

The nanoe^™ X generator, which will be installed in GrabCar Premium vehicles, is powered by a USB port and is compact enough to fit in a car cup holder, making it easy to generate nanoe^™ X to clean the air inside the car.

Panasonic will continue to pursue the realisation of "QUALITY AIR FOR LIFE" in various areas of our lives and society, including home appliances, automotive, and housing-related fields, to deliver a healthy lifestyle.

• ・Location:
  Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam, and Jakarta in Indonesia
• ・Period:
  From mid-January to mid-March 2021
• ・Target:
  5,500 GrabCar Premium vehicles in operation in five cities across four countries mentioned above.

Related links:
QUALITY AIR FOR LIFE https://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/clean/qafl.html

Notes:

• *1: nanoe^™ has a lifespan about six times longer than that of ordinary ions^*, so it spreads over a wider area. Its water content is approximately 1,000 times^** greater than that of air ions (by volume), and it is a weakly acidic ion that is gentle to skin and hair.
  nanoe^™, and the nanoe^™ mark are trademarks of Panasonic Corporation. (About nanoe^™: https://aircon.panasonic.com/consumer/nanoe_technology/about_technology.html
  https://aircon.panasonic.com/consumer/nanoe_technology/about_technology/nanoe_x.html)
• * Comparison with air ions. Lifespan of common air ions: tens of seconds to 100 seconds. Life of nanoe^™: approx. 600 seconds. (According to our research)
• ** Comparison between common air ions (negative ions) (Representative particle size:1.3 nm) and nanoe^™ (Representative particle size:13 nm). (Panasonic internal research)

• *2: The following effects have been verified after about 12 minutes in a space of approximately 23 m³. However, this is not the result of measurement in actual use space.
• ●Testing organisation: Product Analysis Center, Panasonic Corporation
• ●Test method: verified using the six-level odour intensity scale method in an approximately 23 m³ sized test room.
• ●Deodorising method: nanoe^™ released
• ●Test substance: adhered cigarette smoke odour
• ●Test result: odour intensity reduced by 2.4 in 12 minutes (4AA33-160615-N04)

• *3: The following effects have been verified after about 4 hours in a space of approximately 25 m³. However, the results are not measured in actual use space.
• ●Testing organisation: Kitasato Research Center for Environmental Science
• ●Test method: the number of bacteria is measured after direct exposure in an approximately 25 m³ sized airtight test room
• ●Inhibition method: nanoe^™ released
• ●Test substance: airborne bacteria
• ●Types of bacteria tested: 1 type
• ●Test result: 99% or more inhibition in 4 hours (24_0301_1)

• *4: The following effects have been verified after about 24 hours in a space of approximately 23 m³. However, this is not the result of measurement in an actual use space.
• ●Testing organisation: Panasonic Product Analysis Center
• ●Testing method: Verified using the electrophoresis method in an approximately 23 m³ sized test room
• ●Inhibition method: nanoe^™ released
• ●Test substance: allergens
• ●Test result: 99% or more inhibition in 24 hours (4AA33-151001-F01)

Media Contact:

Panasonic Corporation　Brand Strategy Division　Corporate PR Department
https://news.panasonic.com/global/contacts/