Toyota is claiming a world first for the front door glass in the redesigned Vitz (Yaris) that reduces ultraviolet (UV) penetration by approximately 99%. The new car is scheduled for launch at the end of this year.
Combining use of the glass with a windscreen that reduces UV penetration by approximately 99% will result in an approximately 99% combined reduction in UV penetration through the front door windows and screen. TMC estimates that the resulting sunburn protection is equivalent to that of wearing gloves while driving.
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Windscreens, which use laminated glass, can be given approximately 99% UV-reduction performance by inserting a UV-blocking film between two sheets of glass in the laminating process. Door windows generally use single piece tempered glass that is often imbued with a UV-absorbing material to achieve approximately 89% UV protection. Getting the UV-reduction performance of door-window glass closer to 100% requires the use of UV absorption technologies. Thus, the interior side of the window glass for the Vitz has been surfaced with a high-performance UV-absorbing film to achieve approximately 99% UV-reduction performance.
