JAKE LINGEMAN
VW will defrost your windshield with silver
Volkswagen has found a solution to foggy windows that does not involve tiny wires implanted in the glass. The German automaker created a way to install a wafer-thin, electrically conductive layer of invisible silver within the laminated glass. The layer can take a current, no more than 400 to 500 watts, which allows the window to warm up quickly and defrost the glass.
At the bottom section of the glass are filaments that heat up the windshield wipers, preventing them from freezing to the glass. VW is offering the new windshield as an option on the Golf, Golf Sportsvan, Tiguan, Sharan, Passat and Passat variant models in Europe. No word on whether VW will offer it in North America.
The layer of silver also helps in the summer because it acts as a passive heat shield, reflecting up to 60 percent of the summer heat, according to Volkswagen. That’s good for about 15 degrees more than conventional glass with green tinting.
So far, VW has only talked about the windshield, but we don’t see why it couldn’t work on the rear glass, too. We suppose, however, that having those wires in the rear is much less annoying than the front, so it’s probably lower on the list of priorities.
Prices start at $363 (340 euros), depending on the model.
