At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas from January 6-9, 2016, automotive supplier Continental is presenting a demo vehicle in which all windows can be darkened at the touch of a button. "Intelligent Glass Control" uses special films which are 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 considerably increased comfort for passengers, but also makes driving safer," explains Andreas Wolf, head of Continental's Body & Security business unit.

A typical example is a low sun on the horizon. The driver's hand instinctively goes from the steering wheel to the sun visor. Wolf: "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.

Darkening saves energy: By using these films, the solar radiation can be reduced more effectively than with other technologies. "This means that we can keep the heat out of the vehicle and significantly reduce the interior temperature," explains 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 that the CO2 emissions are reduced by a good four grams per kilometer thanks to these measures, thus increasing the range of electric vehicles by around 5.5%."

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