Car perfumes are a growing phenomenon, and behind every car fragrance is an experienced nose. But there are also noses that sniff out car interiors. The scent analysis team at car manufacturers, commonly known as the “nose team,” tracks down unpleasant odors. Car parts made of foul-smelling plastic, leather that reeks of fish oil, or floor carpets emitting an onion scent stand no chance!
Text Anja Van Der Borght
“Scents have a profound impact on our psyche,” says Kristof Lefebre, perfumer and founder of Miglot Fragrance Lab in Ghent
They influence our emotions and create an atmosphere in a space that determines how we feel and behave. Premium brands like Mercedes, BMW, Audi, etc., have understood this well and have been offering fragrances in their most exclusive cars for quite some time—also from the perspective of a luxury experience. But in a few years, this concept will undoubtedly make its way to other car brands as well. In other words, as a consumer, you will be able to choose a fragrance dispenser for every car.
Today, car brands use cartridges—sometimes in the form of a bottle, usually located in the glove compartment—that release the chosen scent into the car interior at set intervals. In the Audi A8, for example, you can choose between a summer and a winter fragrance developed by Robertet, the renowned French fragrance and flavor manufacturer from Grasse, and decide which scent you prefer while driving. But with most other brands, you are stuck with the scent you selected at departure. In the future, more universal systems will be introduced, allowing you to adjust the scent according to the driver, your mood, or the time of day. A boost in the morning and a relaxing scent in the evening—or vice versa?
Research is also being conducted on how scents can help us navigate traffic jams with less agitation, which fragrances reduce road rage, or how to stay alert for longer periods. Someone driving along the vast, monotonous highways of the U.S. will benefit from a different scent than someone entering downtown Brussels in the morning. It’s all about personalization: do you want something calming on your way home in the evening, or rather the opposite? What energizes you on your morning commute? The exciting part is that this can now be seamlessly integrated into our vehicles.”
A few months ago, Lefebre also developed a specific car fragrance for a car collector in Ghent. “The client wanted the interiors of his collection models to always smell fresh and new, even though his collection includes classic cars,” Lefebre explains. “His entire fleet had to have that one specific car fragrance, but outsiders shouldn’t mistake it for a lingering scent left by a recent passenger. That’s why we included a leather facet in the fragrance, expanding it with woody notes to give it depth and character.”
Kristof Lefebre, perfumer and founder of Miglot Fragrance Lab, developed a specific car fragrance based on leather a few months ago for a car collector from Ghent.
New Challenges
In addition to fragrance experts—the designers of perfumes—the automotive industry also employs noses who sniff out cars. Maria Bernander, Technical Expert in Occupant Health Effects at Volvo Cars, works with the noses in the data analysis team at Volvo Sweden. “We deliberately choose ‘ordinary’ men and women from our data analysis team to smell the various interior components of our cars,” says Bernander. “Unlike professional ‘noses,’ they don’t have an extra-sensitive sense of smell, making them more representative of what the average consumer experiences in a car.
Our team members fall within a specific age range (under fifty) and must not suffer from any condition that affects their sense of smell. Before any component is assembled, a sample of each interior material—whether small or large—passes through Maria and the data analysis team. “We use a scale from one to six, where ‘one’ means you smell nothing, and ‘six’ means the odor is unbearable,” Bernander explains. “Since scent is subjective, we identify which smells are present or so intrusive that they become intolerable. We use only our noses as measuring instruments, sniffing every interior component during the development phase to prevent unpleasant-smelling parts from making it to assembly.
However, even that is subjective. I focus on chemical or strong, unpleasant smells, but my Chinese colleagues usually find different things unpleasant. It’s about how you were raised, what you’re used to, and how your surroundings smell. The Chinese market is the most demanding when it comes to scents. The ‘new car’ smell that we in Europe find acceptable is not acceptable in China. The Chinese prefer their cars to smell as neutral as possible.
At Volvo Cars, we also use a one-cubic-meter stainless steel chamber—resembling a large oven—to measure the substances released by materials and analyze which scents they produce when we heat them to 65°C. If we detect disturbing odors, we work with the supplier to eliminate them. Naturally, we also assess the complete car interior once it’s fully assembled.
At Volvo, we try to minimize odors as much as possible, but if consumers still experience an unwanted smell, they can park their car in the sun, as heat helps odors evaporate. Our cars have also been equipped for years with an air purification function using activated carbon, allowing you to cleanse the interior through the air conditioning and remove odors. Today, this can even be done via the car app.
The automotive industry faces new challenges. On one hand, fragrance experts are considering how recycled or vegan materials will affect the scent of car interiors. On the other hand, they are exploring how scents can enhance well-being during car journeys. A future rich in fragrances is guaranteed!”
