Continental is to showcase a demonstration vehicle at January’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, in which all windows can be darkened simultaneously, using films inserted into the glass and which change their transparency through electric control signals.
“The selective, incremental darkening of the side and rear windows, as well as parts of the windshield, not only offers increased comfort for passengers, but also makes driving safer,” said Continental Body & Security business unit head, Andreas Wolf.
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“A typical example is a low sun on the horizon. The driver’s hand instinctively goes from the steering wheel to the sun visor. This results in both impaired visibility and a brief decrease in control of the vehicle.”
In the future, such situations can be detected in advance, and the windows could darken automatically before the event even occurs.
“This means we can keep the heat out of the vehicle and significantly reduce the interior temperature,” added Wolf. “This relieves the air conditioning unit, which can then be smaller, more energy efficient and therefore much lighter in weight.
“Furthermore, the added weight of the sun visors and mechanical blinds is removed, with positive effects on the environment. Our calculations have shown CO2 emissions are reduced by a good four grams per kilometre, thus increasing the range of electric vehicles by around 5.5%.”
In addition to the reduced heat in the interior, the darkening also effectively enhances privacy, maintains the supplier.
“If the vehicle is parked, the windows darken automatically, so the inside of the vehicle cannot be seen from the outside,” said Wolf.
According to Wolf, the glass surfaces could be extended further, without having to cover certain areas mechanically.
The available film still has a slightly blue shimmer, but in the future Continental is expecting a broader range of colours, opening up additional design possibilities.
Other effects, from coupling light effects through energy recovery to touchscreen functionalities, may also be possible.
