Tesla has finally launched a retrofit service to add HEPA filters to the 2020 and 2021 Model Y in Canada and the US. The retrofit comes more than two years after the Fremont factory first started building the electric SUV with the hospital-grade filters.
When Tesla first launched the Model Y in early 2020, it did not come equipped with HEPA filters and accompanying Bioweapon Defense Mode feature, which are capable of capturing and filtering out 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 micrometers in size. The only cars that were equipped with HEPA filters were the Model S and Model X, with CEO Elon Musk saying in 2018 they were “giant” and too big to fit in the Model 3.
While it didn’t come with HEPA filters when it launched, the Model Y did have enough space for them. In June 2021 the Fremont factory added the filters to the Model Y production lines. Naturally existing owners wondered if they would be able to add the dual-layer filters to their vehicles, and now they finally can. This week the company added a “Model Y HEPA Filter Retrofit” item to the service menu of the mobile app.
According to a screenshot shared by X user @NeaMeatPopsicle, it will be reasonably priced and cost C$400.36 + taxes in Canada. In the US it will cost around US$313, according to posters on Reddit, who have been able to schedule the service for as soon as next week.
Tesla model Y HEPA upgrade available in Canada! $400.36 + tax.
Finally I’ll breathe easy. pic.twitter.com/DPD6ZGCIAT— Peter ⚖️ (@NeoMeatPopsicle) November 22, 2023
If you are wondering whether it is worth it to pay for the retrofit, just watch this video from Tesla demonstrating how effective the HEPA filters and Bioweapon Defense Mode really are.
