Electrochromatic windshield

[Canh99]

This article talks about an electrochromatic windshield.

2016 Tesla Model X electric SUV first drive by Model S owner

A dial that changes the intensity of the windshield tint? Anyone have this?

 

[Dazureus]

From the linked article:

"The windshield is heavily tinted in its top half, which dulls the panoramic effect somewhat. Sunphobes may welcome the heavy tint, but I think it’s too dark. Can’t please everyone, I guess.

Yes, you can. Make the top half of the windshield electrochromic, like the passenger windows in the Boeing 787, which change from clear to black with the turn of a rheostat dial.

Imagine it: if the sun goes behind a cloud, swipe a finger on the touchscreen and the windshield tint melts away. When the sun returns, swipe again, and the clear glass ceiling fades to black, or anywhere you prefer in between."

Electrochromic windows aren't currently a feature in the Model X. The author of the article was just offering a scenario in which you could "please everyone" with the front windshield tinting.

 

[K-MTG]

That could be sunshade alternative

 

[ssq]

That could be sunshade alternative

@K-MTG I love how you are true to your TMC "Epithet" Maybe I should add something similar for being the "white seats guy"

 

[timf]

The electrochromatic windshield is an example of doing too much in the first iteration of Model X. Tesla already admitted they made the initial version of Model X too complicated. This is a logical feature to be added in the future, but it was probably a smart idea to draw the line short of this for the initial release.

 

[4sevens.com]

electrochromatic windshield takes power to make it clear. I checked one vendor and it's 7 watts per square feet. Not only are you using energy you're heading up the car - not bad in the winter but bad in the summer.

 

[K-MTG]

electrochromatic windshield takes power to make it clear. I checked one vendor and it's 7 watts per square feet. Not only are you using energy you're heading up the car - not bad in the winter but bad in the summer.

That is still very minimal power.

 

[pvogel]

That is still very minimal power.

Hardly! When you don't have an alternator, just a battery, you have to think carefully about every use of power. 7W/Sq foot means the windshield would use well over 140W to stay clear (5' wide, 4' high/back minimum) that's more than two Macbooks continuously running! Conservatively speaking just your windshield is increasing your consumption by 2Wh/mile!

 

[K-MTG]

Hardly! When you don't have an alternator, just a battery, you have to think carefully about every use of power. 7W/Sq foot means the windshield would use well over 140W to stay clear (5' wide, 4' high/back minimum) that's more than two Macbooks continuously running! Conservatively speaking just your windshield is increasing your consumption by 2Wh/mile!

I looked into this and found that it is the opposite, power is used to make the glass clear while power is reduced to make the glass darker

 

[AudubonB]

I have been amazed at the efficacy of the electrochromatic windows in the King Air, but two important questions -

1. Is it conceivably possible in anything resembling a non-cost-prohibitive way in a piece of glass that already is heinously expensive to provide for electrochromatic in just one portion of the glass? This is, of course, necessary for tinting only the upper segment.

and

2. If not - that the entire sheet of glass need be endowed with electrochromativity - then surely what K-MTG just wrote about clear=juice/opaque=no juice - the overall power consumption profile just went through the roof - correct?

 

[K-MTG]

Take a look at this: Smart Tint ® Smart Film ™ USA Factory Direct

Roughly between 3-5 watts per square meter, when transparent. It uses no power when opaque. One can use their tint for an aftermarket solution, I emailed my local tint shop and they quoted 3k for this on the Model X windshield.

 

[AudubonB]

For that aftermarket product, then, you would need to start out with a non-tinted upper portion - or were you considering emplacing that below the current windshield's tint zone?