About That "New Car Smell"

There's nothing like buying a new car and getting into it the very first time. You instantly get a whiff of what's referred to as "new car" smell. This can last for the first year or longer, depending on the conditions to which the car is exposed. If it is properly taken care of, the owner can enjoy new car smell for quite a while.

Significance

The smell of a new car can range from that of plastic to that of leather. The smell is strong and hits you as soon as you enter the vehicle and get behind the wheel. Some people enjoy the smell, while others find it repulsive.

Many people wonder what gives a new car that smell. Chemists have found that the new car smell is a combination of ketones, alkanes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), substituted benzenes and aldehydes.

Just about all solid surfaces in a vehicle are composed of either plastic or fabric, which are held together with sealers and adhesives. When the chemicals and residual solvents from these materials is outgassed, the sea of VOCs is diluted; as a result they float around in the vehicle's passenger compartment. The same is true for offices, homes and airplanes.

Function

Automakers have a standard for the total VOCs in a vehicle. They try to keep the amount of VOCs that flexible plastics and textiles emit low so that repeated fogging of the windows is prevented. However, at this time, there are no government standards which would regulate a new vehicle's air quality.

Effects

The level of concentrations of VOCs found in cars probably is not harmful, but if a person is exposed to the total mix of VOCs for a long period of time, he could experience health problems. Luckily the high concentrations of the compounds quickly dissolve a few months after production.

However, it is possible for VOC concentrations to reach an unhealthy level if a vehicle is closed up on a warm day. There is a solution to this, though. Once a window is unrolled or the door is opened, or the air conditioner is turned on, then the air exchange rate becomes high and the concentrations dissipate quickly.

Misconceptions

Not all VOCs can be attributed to the materials from which the interior of the car is constructed. Sometimes compounds from exhaust or fuel and and cleaning products' siloxanes can add to the total concentration of VOCs. In an effort to cut down on the VOCs contained in a new car, automakers are trying to do away with parts that give off high levels of VOCs. If they are successful, this could mean the end of the new car smell forever.

Prevention/Solution

If the new car smell is eliminated from new vehicles, what will those who enjoy the smell do? It seems like having new car smell is part of the new car buying experience. Without it, buying a new car might not be as satisfying. Thanks to companies who manufacture air fresheners, there are products on the market that will give the vehicle the new car smell, even if it's not a new car. For those who are worried about their health and the level of VOCs in their new car, they can make sure that they get plenty of air into the vehicle by driving with the windows open frequently. If they do this for at least six months after they purchase the vehicle, the outside air will help get rid of the VOCs sooner, thus eliminating the new car smell faster.