Is It Possible To Design Out A-Pillar Cross Beam, Visors, Inside Rear View Mirror?

[jackbowers]

Perhaps Elon went looking for some other way to differentiate Model X after the DOT nixed the outside camera mirrors. With integrated windshield LCD tinting for visors, and a dash display to replace the inside rear-view mirror, the seamless glass view would be quite futuristic, perhaps a little Jetsons-like. There's only one regulatory stumbling block that I can think of: where would the airbag warning sticker go?

 

[AustinPowers]

Possible? Yes. Likely? I don't think so. Main reason? Too expensive.

And remember the discussions we had for the Model S visors/lighted-non-lighted vanity mirrors? With electrochromatic tint-visors there wouldn't be vanity mirrors at all. I think quite a few customers wouldn't like that. Except for Jetsons fans of course ;-)

 

[Saghost]

Keep in mind, Tesla put a bunch of sensors in the rear view mirror mount with the S - rain sensor, Autopilot camera, and I think sun load sensor.

Lots of things they could do, but I'm expecting to see a conventional mirror setup but not a cross beam - maybe a monopod extending to the rear with the overhead lights in it?
Walter

 

[omarsultan]

Well, now you have your answer: yes, yes, and no.

 

[Mark Z]

Time to view the windshield up close from inside and listen to Bjørn's comments. Go to minute 6:30 in Bjorn Nyland's latest video from the order screens of the Model X Design Studio and other photos:

Model X configurator open for Signature customers - YouTube

When Tesla Motors called today I asked about the windshield and if there is anything like it in other vehicles. He didn't think so. When I asked about the shield on the left side, he just said he wanted to leave things like that to be a surprise for those of us who have ordered. The video gives a good closeup so have fun looking at the future!

 

[Parax]

When Tesla Motors called today I asked about the windshield and if there is anything like it in other vehicles. He didn't think so.

Panoramic Windscreens are on lots of European cars.
This is a Vauxhall (GM) Astra:

Citroen C3:

 

[Parax]

When Tesla Motors called today I asked about the windshield and if there is anything like it in other vehicles. He didn't think so.

There are many cars in Europe, from at least three different manufacturers (on owned by GM), with these windshields but you'd need to google "Panoramic Windscreen" to find them.

 

[bwa]

For the future, could they use fiber (such as some of Corning's special fibers that are even resistant to severe damage) embedded in either the glass or a clear container, and then only two strands of copper for the power (with a super-capacitor/battery for energy backup if it ever looses power due to broken cable)? The fiber could have two paths, for redundancy, in case one breaks, but with Corning around, it would be easier to put more work into damage resistant fiber than upping that number of redundancy (maybe one from the top and one from the side, or one is more resilient than three more?)

In this way, it gets rid of the big black conduit.

Another thing they could do is use a material that is "transparent", such as holographic conduit that lenses the images through it.

And even they could do all three things.

I think there's a lot of things they can do with that big stiff conduit to get rid of it. I do believe a development cycle with Corning, holographers, and glass makers would take a few years even if it was given ample resources, so this may be a possible thing in the works for future. Whether they thought of that I don't know.

In general for all its communication, I still want to know about the car:

1. Is fiber with fiber transceivers cheaper than copper?
2. Is fiber with fiber transceivers as reliable as copper?
3. Is fiber with fiber transceivers LIGHTER than copper?
4. Could some of the fiber transceivers be eliminated through light-based logic boards? Yes, they exist, but they've been removed from the news and replaced with decades-old stories, so I think it was unclassified technology that has been classified, but that wouldn't stop a company from using it (look at Qualcomm who spent $2 billion to re-engineer what the military already had, and now we have smartphones; perhaps all along, Tesla wants this, but just doesn't want the military export law headaches that the smartphone industry HAD to go through).