In a recent move by Tesla, owners of Model Y vehicles manufactured before January 8, 2021, now have the option to request the installation of an original HEPA filter through a Tesla service center using the mobile app. While Tesla offers the HEPA and Carbon Filter replacement kit on its website for $90, the retrofit for older Model Y units comes at a higher cost.
The premium HEPA filter and Bioweapon Defense Mode firmware upgrade kit for retrofitting 2020-2021 Model Ys is priced at $330. This retrofit is currently available for Model Y owners in the United States and Canada, and orders can be placed conveniently through the mobile app.
Notably, the breakdown of the $330 cost reveals that the HEPA filter and bioweapon mode addition are priced at $135, with the remaining $125 covering labor costs and the installation of smaller retrofitting components. Tesla, initially not including a HEPA filter in the Model Y until after January 8, 2021, now allows owners of earlier models to request this retrofit via the app.
Here is the full cost breakdown for the Model Y HEPA filter retrofit. Cost is $330. https://t.co/Ey6xNQE33W pic.twitter.com/E8dP18MCa0
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) November 22, 2023
Tesla’s advanced HEPA filter is designed to purify outside air by removing pollen, viruses, mold spores, bacteria, and pollution particles before allowing it into the vehicle cabin. The system also features the Bioweapon Defense Mode, a filtration capability tested in a controlled pollution environment. During testing, a Model X was exposed to an extreme concentration of polluting PM2.5 particles, exceeding the EPA’s safety limit by ten times. The HEPA system not only reduced these levels to nearly undetectable but also began cleaning the air inside the testing environment.
Originally available for the Model X and Model S, Tesla later incorporated these massive HEPA filters into the Model Y as well. The Bioweapon Defense Mode, now accessible to Model Y owners, has been a notable feature previously associated with hospitals and aircraft.
Early adopters of the Model Y can find solace in the fact that the HEPA filter retrofit for their vehicles is priced more affordably than the 2015-2020 Model X HEPA filtration upgrade kit, which comes with the Bioweapon Defense Mode firmware and carries a hefty price tag of $425. Following the retrofit, Tesla also offers Model Y HEPA and carbon filter replacement kits at $90 each for the 2020-2021 model years.
