Apparatus and methods for disinfecting components of an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle

A device for disinfecting components of an air conditioning system in a motor vehicle, the device comprising:

• an ozone generator arranged in close proximity to an evaporator in the air conditioning system;
• and
• an electronic control unit configured to activate the ozone generator to produce a comparatively large amount of ozone sufficient to disinfect the evaporator, when information provided to the control unit indicates that a condition is met, under which air flaps between the air conditioning system and a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle may remain closed for a time sufficient for the disinfection, wherein the condition under which the air flaps may remain closed is met when the passenger compartment is in a probable unoccupied state, and wherein the control unit is configured to detect the probable unoccupied state of the passenger compartment.