An unprecedented heat wave is currently affecting the northern hemisphere.
Parts of the United States and Europe are suffering scorching temperatures as another round of record-breaking heat waves grips Western countries.
Triple-digit temperatures have been recorded in parts of the United States, with million of Americans urged to stay indoors. The National Weather Service (NWS) continues to issue excessive heat alerts, with particularly harrowing temperatures in Southwestern and Central regions, with no indication of when temperatures and humidity will drop.
"Scorching heat will remain a major weather story over at least the next few days throughout much of the south-central U.S. and extending into other parts of the Nation as a stagnant upper-level ridge hovers over the Southwest," NWS said in its website.
Western European countries are facing similar problems as the region faces its second heat wave in less than a month, threatening glaciers in the Alps and worsening drought conditions. In southwestern France, wildfires rage as the country continues to break heat records, following France's hottest June on record since 1850.
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Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered Tuesday amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of Europe, as the U.K.’s national weather forecaster said such highs are now a fact of life in a country ill-prepared for such extremes, according to The Associated Press.
A Smart Air Purifier For Residential Homes
The U.K. Met Office weather agency registered a provisional reading on July 19 of 40.3 degrees Celsius (104.5 degrees Fahrenheit) at Coningsby in eastern England, a record. The previous record of the highest temperature recorded in Britain was 38.7 C (101.7 F). It was set in 2019.
It is in this context that Musk has just announced on Twitter that Tesla will enter the residential HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) market. According to the billionaire, Tesla is developing a system that can heat and cool individual homes.
The HVAC system that Tesla is working on will include a HEPA filter to eventually clean the air and potentially create clean water. This filter would thus make it possible to capture contaminants by theoretically removing dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles.
"Please make home HVAC with hepa filter, the allergies are killing me rn," a Twitter user begged Musk on July 18.
"It’s on the future product list," the chief executive officer of Tesla (TSLA) responded. "Especially important in places like Austin, which has next-level amounts of pollen in the air."
This isn't the first time Musk has mentioned an HVAC system developed by Tesla. He did it in 2020 and also at the start of the year. But this is the first time that he clearly says that this product is part of the list of future Tesla products being developed.
In March 2020, the mogul gave a vision of this system that would purify the air. Musk said he sees it as a smart system based on the heat pump, Octovalve, developed for Tesla Model Y SUV.
"Sure would love to do home hvac that’s quiet & efficient, with humidity control & HEPA filter," Musk tweeted on March 23, 2020.
The Tesla HVAC System Is Said to Capture Bacteria, Viruses
He suggested that the system will communicate with the car in order to know when the owner is supposed to be at home, so the temperature and the humidity would be adjusted and perfect as soon as they arrive. As a result, there's no wasted energy. He also discussed the possibility of harnessing condensation for water.
"Could maybe tap the condensation for water too. Seems odd that HVAC systems make pure, fresh water & just dump it on the ground," Musk said at the time.
Tesla has amassed a lot of experience with HVAC systems via the "Bioweapon Defense Mode", an improved air filtering system that reduces the direct impact of air pollution on the occupants of its vehicles. The way it works is that the system pressurizes the car's cabin to minimize the amount of outside air. This feature is thus beneficial in areas where there are fires such as in California. It comes with its Model S and Model X vehicles.
Tesla says that its HEPA air filter system is 10 times wider than conventional car filters. It is “100 times more effective than premium automotive filters” because it removes "at least 99.97% of fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen and mold spores."
"HEPA air filter in Model Y, S and X removes >99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles," the firm claims.
Musk is currently working on Volume 3 of Tesla's famous "Master Plan", a sort of secret guide to transform transportation and to save the planet from dying from pollution. In view of Musk's remarks, the HVAC system for individual dwellings is among the products that this strategic plan will contain.
