After years of debating, most automakers finally agree that emissions have become a real problem for our environment. Governments and automakers have worked together to produce timelines for the elimination of gas-powered vehicles in their lineups. Introducing electric vehicles will lead to less harmful emissions in our environment but is that really all we can do to help save the planet? What if there was a vehicle that didn’t just avoid creating harmful emissions, it combated them?

The fight against emissions

A decade ago, emissions didn’t seem like such a pressing issue to the average consumer, the government, and especially most automakers. Today it’s hard to ignore the issue looming behind the introduction of many new EV and hybrid vehicles. The fight against harmful emissions has begun, and most major automakers have committed to doing their part, but is it enough?

Automakers like Nissan and Toyota have been early supporters of alternative fuel sources. Tesla has strived to make electric vehicles popular for almost two decades. Automakers may be doing their part to reduce future pollution, but what about existing pollution? As far-fetched as it seems, there actually is a vehicle that can actively reduce existing pollution.

The car that eats pollution

The Zhiji Airo concept car may look more like a pile of Cool Whip or abstract art than an automobile but don’t judge, this thing is here to save the day. Thomas Heatherwick designed the Zhiji Airo. The Airo was created to be the polar opposite of a gas-powered vehicle. Instead of creating emissions that are harmful to the environment, it gets rid of them.

Thomas is an architect by trade. He is responsible for designing the Google headquarters in London and California. The IM Motors Zhiji Airo is actually Thomas’ first car design ever. IM Motors wanted an unconventional design and Thomas was the perfect person for the job. The Zhiji Airo not only looks disruptive, it is also disruptive. But how will this Michellin Man-shaped car save the world?

The Zhiji Airo is the first superhero car

Calling the Zhiji Airo, Thomas, and the folks at IM Motors heroes may seem like hyperbole but let’s consider the novelty of this vehicle. As innovative as Tesla is, its vehicles are more beneficial to the future than the present. The Zhiji Airo lives in the now. EVs may create a cleaner future, but someone has to deal with the smoggy present, and IM Motors has stepped up to the plate.

According to BBC News, the Zhiji Airo helps clean our air supply by filtering air through its front grille. Some argue that the amount of air filtered by the Airo compared to the amount of polluted air would be extremely insignificant. This is a fair point but imagine the possibilities if the Airo became popular in China, then in other parts of the world. Governments and automakers have been so concerned with the future that it seems people are forgetting the present environmental crisis.

The Zhiji Airo also includes an interior unlike any other existing automobile. The interior was designed as an alternative space and resembles a luxurious train compartment more than the cabin of a car. The Zhiji Airo was created to disrupt the automotive industry and produce a one-of-a-kind experience that helps protect the environment. A million units are expected to be produced as early as 2023 in China. While other automakers plan for a better tomorrow, IM Motors hopes to create cleaner air today.