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A plastic barrier separates the front from the rear of the van.
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Honda engineers in Ohio prepared the vans.
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Honda builds similar vans in Japan.
Every car manufacturer is doubling down its efforts to aid in the hopefully-soon-to-end COVID-19 pandemic. Many are building ventilators, others making masks and all the while extending warranties and other services to their clients, and in some cases, to all front-line healthcare workers. Honda’s taking a slightly different approach by retrofitting new Honda Odyssey minivans to allow safe transport of people potentially infected with COVID-19.
Like masks and visors, we all need to protect ourselves against the spread of the virus. In order to protect drivers and healthcare workers, Honda has installed plastic barriers behind the front seating area of 10 of their Honda Odyssey minivans. As well, they’ve adjusted the ventilation system to set and maintain an air pressure differential between the seating areas.
The beauty with these minivans is that they will remain useful long after the pandemic has been called off. Many experts agree that current measures such as social distancing will remain necessary for years to come. These new Honda Odysseys, which have been delivered to the City of Detroit, may become the inspiration for new transportation norms.
