FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
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and the University of Michigan has teamed up to make cars cleaner, but not cleaner in an aesthetic sense, they want to makes automotive interiors more anti-microbial. The two groups are searching for where microbes in cars are most prevalent and how they grow. 

The university researchers swabbed researchers from around the car including the steering wheel, buttons, door handles and shifter. The most bacteria and microbes were found on the steering wheels and around the cupholders. 

The next step was to find safe solutions for reducing the infective microbes. They experimented with silver ions, ammonium salt, and polyolefin wax and found that the silver ion coating was most effective. It works by starving and suffocating many microbes. They also made sure that the coating would work for long periods of time. 

Ford is now testing the silver ion coating under the brand name Agion in real world vehicles for use in future cars. 

“We can’t control everything that contributes to stains and odors in our cars and trucks. But we’re doing our part to maintain a pleasant cabin environment for our customers over the long haul," said Ford engineer Cindy Peters.