Tesla’s safety leadership, this time in panoramic sunroof design, has again been proven. The Model S panoramic roof has always been made of Lamisafe, a windshield-grade laminated glass, while other makers have equipped their panoramic roofs with tempered glass—a cheaper but hazardous substitute.
Unlike large panoramic roofs of tempered glass, which can literally “explode” without warning, the laminated glass used in Tesla Model S panoramic roofs can break but cannot explode. When tempered glass panoramic roofs explode, they scatter thousands of sharp glass fragments down on the unprepared motorist.
According to an article in the current issue of Consumer Reports, Exploding Sunroofs: Danger Overhead, large panoramic glass roofs have led to widespread reports of exploding sunroofs in recent years. Some the leading offenders have been models made by Hyundai, Ford, Nissan, Kia, Scion, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Cadillac and BMW, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recorded complaints against 35 automobile makers.
Laminated glass, required in all windshields, is made of two layers of glass separated by a tough, flexible membrane that holds the glass together even in the event of breakage. High strength tempered glass behaves differently: it is designed to shatter into small pieces when broken. Tesla and most other makers typically use tempered glass only for side windows, whose size and configuration do not impose the kinds of stresses—and resultant explosive risks—placed on panoramic roofs.
CR noted that manufacturers of exploding glass roofs also routinely refuse to honor warranty claims, asserting without evidence that their defective glass must have been broken by projectiles.
Unlike large panoramic roofs of tempered glass, which can literally “explode” without warning, the laminated glass used in Tesla Model S panoramic roofs can break but cannot explode. When tempered glass panoramic roofs explode, they scatter thousands of sharp glass fragments down on the unprepared motorist.
According to an article in the current issue of Consumer Reports, Exploding Sunroofs: Danger Overhead, large panoramic glass roofs have led to widespread reports of exploding sunroofs in recent years. Some the leading offenders have been models made by Hyundai, Ford, Nissan, Kia, Scion, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Cadillac and BMW, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has recorded complaints against 35 automobile makers.
Laminated glass, required in all windshields, is made of two layers of glass separated by a tough, flexible membrane that holds the glass together even in the event of breakage. High strength tempered glass behaves differently: it is designed to shatter into small pieces when broken. Tesla and most other makers typically use tempered glass only for side windows, whose size and configuration do not impose the kinds of stresses—and resultant explosive risks—placed on panoramic roofs.
CR noted that manufacturers of exploding glass roofs also routinely refuse to honor warranty claims, asserting without evidence that their defective glass must have been broken by projectiles.
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