--- title: "Ford Software Update Lets Cop Cars Bake Away Coronavirus" description: "A new system allows the interior cabin of Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles to literally bake the coronavirus away at 133 degrees Fahrenheit." date: "2020-05-27" modified: "2020-05-27" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ford-software-update-cop-cars-bake-coronavirus" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Pathogens" - "Viruses" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "ford" - "the digest" --- # Ford Software Update Lets Cop Cars Bake Away Coronavirus ![A new system allows the interior cabin of Ford Police Interceptor Utility vehicles to literally bake at sweltering temperatures to neutralize any infected surfaces]() *\Image: Ford/Victor Tangermann\* ## Heat Soak Ford is trying something different to keep its lineup of Police Interceptor Utility vehicles sanitary in a global pandemic. A new software update, called "Interior Cabin Heat Soak," allows the vehicles to heat their interior cabins to neutralize any infected surfaces, [*The Drive* reports](). ## Easy Bake The heating system on Ford vehicles isn't powerful enough, so the system redirects hot coolant from a revving engine, allowing the cabin to reach a crispy 133 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Ford [claims]() the system is capable of neutralizing 99 percent of viral contaminants. Ford suggests police officers can use the feature at the start and end of shifts when the vehicle changes hands. "Hazard lights and tail lights will flash in a preset pattern, then will change at the end to signal completion," Ford said in a statement, as [reported by the *Detroit Free Press*](). ## Hot Uber The software update gives models from 2016 and newer the virus-killing capability, according to *The Drive*. Models dating back to 2013 can do it too, but they require some additional equipment. Ford's system raises the possibility that the rideshare industry, [which has been thrown into turmoil]() by the pandemic, could use similar technology — though it's unclear which cars would have the technical capability to do so, and whether Uber drivers would be willing to superheat the interiors of their cars to make sure their passengers are safe from contamination. **READ MORE:** [How Ford Turned Its Cop Cars Into Giant Ovens to Kill Coronavirus]() \[*The Drive*\] **More on the virus:** *[DISEASE HISTORIAN: US COVID RESPONSE “INCOMPREHENSIBLY INCOHERENT”]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()