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The Tesla brand present at the Berlin show is not the one that forged its notoriety around electric cars. This is a Chinese manufacturer (which uses, under agreement, the name of the American company) to whom we owe the most useless product of the show: an air purifier to wear around the neck.
Who hasn’t dreamed of having an air purifier around their neck? Well, probably nobody. However, Tesla – a Chinese manufacturer that has absolutely nothing to do with Elon Musk’s company – took up the challenge by presenting the Air Mini at IFA 2022. With 46 g on the balance and a compact format (75 mm long, 39 mm wide and 20 mm deep), the Air Mini plays on discretion.
Discreet yes, but not invisible. The air purifier, available in white, black or orange, sits comfortably around the user’s neck. It is therefore impossible to miss it. Tesla explains that it was designed to purify the air around the face and would particularly help people allergic to pollen. To do this, the device releases negative ions which attach themselves to the polluting particles, in order to attract them to the ground and move them away from the user.
If the Air Mini can be placed on a desk, it is above all intended to be worn around the neck, outdoors. And that’s the problem for us. Indeed, the manufacturers of air purifiers systematically announce a maximum surface within the limits of which the device is efficient. Beyond that, sanitation capacities are not guaranteed. In addition, the effectiveness of this type of device in a ventilated room is difficult to measure, the polluting particles being constantly renewed. It is therefore natural to be skeptical of this Air Mini, which is supposed to perform well when traveling outside.
The most surprising is certainly the advertising video put online by the American firm. To showcase the purification capabilities of the device, two containers – small in size – are smoky, one containing an Air Mini. After accelerating time, Tesla shows us that his portable purifier has managed to eliminate all of the smoke.
Yes and ? These test conditions are far from being similar to the actual conditions of use of the Air Mini. Its effectiveness on the outside is therefore still to be proven.
Screenshots from the Tesla Air Mini presentation video. ©Tesla
Anyway, the small purifier is not equipped with a filter. The user therefore does not have to worry about its maintenance. The device does not have either a fan or a noisy motor: just turn it on to benefit from the 180 hours of operation announced. Three hours of charging are required once the battery is discharged; Tesla provides a Type-C cable for refueling.
If Tesla products are not available in France, countries like Romania or Poland could soon be able to take advantage of the Air Mini.