US police fleets deploy Ford system to kill coronavirus on cabin surfaces

The manufacturer has installed software that bakes the cabin of US police vehicles, protecting frontline officers.

Ford have developed a heat-blast treatment to clean police vehicles in the US. Picture: Supplied

Ford has developed a heat-blast treatment to kill coronavirus for use in police vehicles in the US.

Specially installed software bakes the cabin to 56C – close to the hottest temperature recorded on earth – for 15 minutes to stop the disease in its tracks.

The cabin temperature reaches 56C, close to the hottest temperature recorded on earth. Picture: Supplied

Trials with the New York City and Los Angeles police departments showed it is effective in destroying at least 99 per cent of the virus on interior surfaces.

Ford is making it available immediately on all its police Interceptor utes in the US and Canada.

“We’ve turned the vehicle’s powertrain and heat control systems into a virus neutraliser,”

said product development chief Hau Thai-Tang.

The vehicle flashes its lights when the disinfection is complete, and a cool-down process begins.

The tests, which were conducted with the microbiology department of Ohio State University, show heat treatment is effective in hard-to-reach areas which could be missed during chemical disinfection.

Police brand marketing manager Stephen Tyler said in many cases, police cars were being used when ambulances were unavailable.

“Officers may be transporting a coronavirus patient to a hospital while another trip may involve an occupant who may be asymptomatic.”

Ford says the car’s powertrain and heat control systems have been turned ‘into a virus neutraliser’. Picture: Supplied

Ford plans to develop the system for across its police vehicles line-up, although the Interceptor is not sold in Australia.