Car firms employing odour experts to ensure new vehicles smell good

Image and sound are perhaps what we most associate with cars. A loud engine or sleek styling usually attracts the most attention.

But it seems that smell is equally important – whether that be older cars full of damp dog hair and garbage or the smell of new cars that people love or hate.

Like personal hygiene, car fragrances are a sensitive subject, contributing to a multimillion-pound fragrance industry that offers a wealth of ready-to-use air fresheners.

Fresh off the line

Automakers go to great lengths to ensure that substances, coatings, chemicals and processes used in the interior of modern cars do not cause nausea to the occupants.

They also employ rare experts with highly sophisticated olfactory senses to help isolate and remove such odors.

For example, Peter Karl Eastland has been dubbed the ‘Nose of Nissan’ because of his exceptional talent in this field. It plays a major role in the development of new models, including the current Qashqai SUV.

Peter’s official position is based at Nissan’s European Technical Center in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, and is Chief Engineer for Odor Evaluation.

Armed with a master’s degree in chemistry with forensic sciences from the University of Leicester, he has also been blessed with an extremely keen sense of smell from an early age.

He leads a panel of engineers and technicians to ensure that every new car smell is just right, that the first impression is always pleasant, and that the experience is not tainted by unappealing smells.

This includes a careful analysis of all materials used, which can take up to four years during development.

When a new material or chemical negatively affects the overall atmosphere in the cabin, Peter and his colleagues look for alternatives.

Explaining how he first became aware of his exceptional sense of smell, Peter said: ‘I remember playing games as a young child where we had to identify foods such as chips, sweets or drinks only by their smell.

“I was able to recognize the own-brand supermarket items and the products of the leading brands, even if the taste was the same.”

Peter joined Nissan’s graduate program in 2016, where his exceptional olfactory talents were noticed and harnessed when his current position became vacant.

He combines his nose talents with his other responsibilities for forensic analysis of how materials behave, looking for solutions to any problems discovered.

He explains: ‘Part of our job is to make sure that all of the material we purchase is scent-perfect. I work with many materials, for example polymers, rubbers and adhesives. With a trained nose I can tell the difference between fake and real leather, cloth and cloth etc.”

on the path

Experts from independent global testing agency Emissions Analytics are developing new methods to identify the odor characteristics of individual vehicles and creating their own library to maximize consumer comfort and minimize health impacts.

The British company highlights how the interaction of so-called volatile organic compounds (known as ‘VOCs’) from these new interior materials can cause bad, chemical odors in cars.

Hundreds of these VOCs are present in the cabin and interact in unpredictable ways, which can cause unexpected ‘stench’.

The company, based in Stokenchurch near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, says the transition to green interiors with recycled or sustainable materials, such as plant-based plastics, is already taking effect.

Cleaner petrol and diesel cars and the move to zero-emission electric vehicles also means that there is now a greater focus on the impact of non-exhaust emissions, including those from materials such as foam, carpeting and seat covers, and tire wear.

The company says, “Perhaps the least understood trend among car buyers is how environmental problems affect the air quality in the vehicle’s cabin as new and innovative materials, treatments, adhesives and fragrances are used.

“As traditional materials are swapped out for new eco or other alternatives, or seat covers are treated with less toxic chemicals, or the vehicle is constructed with more adhesives instead of rivets, the challenges and risks of bad odors are increasing.”

Emissions Analytics also emphasizes that while a bad smell can be unpleasant, it is not necessarily harmful to health.

Likewise, the absence of a bad odor does not guarantee that there will be no adverse health effects.

The company also points to cultural differences around the world: ‘While Western car buyers like the smell of new cars, Asian buyers are less enthusiastic.

“Removing this odor has therefore been the focus of regulations in Japan, Korea and other such countries.”

Beware when buying worn tires

Millions of cash-strapped drivers are risking their lives by buying cheaper, partially worn tires that safety experts label as ‘deaths’.

Research from road safety organization IAM RoadSmart (iamroadsmart.co.uk) shows that nearly 40 percent of the 1,000 motorists surveyed would consider buying partially worn tires to save money if financial tightness turns.

This represents more than 14 million drivers of the 35.9 million drivers in the UK.

New tires are normally sold with a tread depth of about eight millimeters, while partially worn tires have only two millimeters of tread.

It comes as road safety experts TyreSafe say that an average of 159 people are killed or seriously injured each year in tire failure-related accidents.

A TyreSafe study found that 63 percent of partially worn tires were unsafe to get back on the road.

Neil Greig, of IAM RoadSmart, said: ‘The importance of buying quality tires cannot be underestimated.’