Chinese customers hate “new car smell,” so Ford files a patent to bake it out

In the US, “new car smell” is a beloved scent. People even try to make their cars smell new with after-market cleaning products. But in China, customers find the same odor repulsive. As the Chinese auto market grows, car makers are looking for a way to make the aroma of their new vehicles more amenable to Chinese tastes.

Early this month, Ford filed a patent to reduce the odor of some of the adhesive, leather, and other materials that produce Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that contribute to new car smell. The patent appears to include software that senses the car’s location and the weather it’s experiencing, then it possibly detects whether the owner has “requested volatile organic compound removal from the vehicle.” Next, on a sunny day, the car will roll down a window and turn on the engine, the heater, and a fan in order to bake off the VOCs and their accompanying smell.

The Ford patent explains: “new vehicles typically have an odor often referred to as a ‘new car smell’… This odor typically persists for several months after the manufacture of a new vehicle. Some customers do not like this smell, and even become irritated or sick from the VOCs in the interior of a new vehicle” [emphasis Ford’s].

According to the Detroit Free Press, Ford’s software appears to work only with vehicles that possess some level of autonomy. If removal of new car smell is requested, “the car would drive itself to a place in the sun and bake away the offensive odor.”

“While ‘new car smell’ is ingrained in American culture, we know Chinese customers dislike that scent,” Debbie Mielewski, senior technical leader in materials sustainability at Ford, told the Detroit Free Press. ”This patent is the result of years of research and is just one idea we are considering for future use.”

Since the patent was just recently filed, there’s no guarantee it will be granted or that Ford will actually end up adopting the technology. Either way, it’s an interesting look at how car makers are considering tailoring their products to meet a wide range of tastes and preferences.