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Continental Unveils Intelligent Car Windows That Can Tint at the Press of a Button

Continental has unveiled a technology that allows car windows to change their shading. Thanks to special films inserted in between sheets of glass, a window with Intelligent Glass Control can change its transparency.
Intelligent Glass Control 1 photo
Photo: Continental
Along with the possibility of instant tinted windows without compromise, the system brings numerous benefits for consumers. While Continental has yet to reveal its first customers for this system, we’re bound to see Intelligent Glass in the options list of premium cars to come.

Among the benefits of the new system, Continental states that the windows can allow partial tinting and full tint in some situations. Thanks to the technology, car windows could instantly darken in certain areas and help drivers avoid the nasty situation where they are shortly blinded by the sun or by the headlights of passing cars.

Another interesting use of such a technology would be tinting all the windows on a car to provide sun protection for the interior while parked. This way, the A/C system would work less to cool down a car that was parked in the scorching sun, while the driver’s possessions would be protected from curious bystanders. Thanks to this improvement, A/C systems could shrink in size, becoming lighter and more fuel-efficient.

Another benefit of the new window technology from Continental would be reducing UV radiation that naturally occurs with classic windows. The new UV protection film can block out dangerous and unseen UV rays that harm human skin and slowly damage interior trim.

All of these benefits would come without obstructing night vision, like current filmed tinting does to some side or rear windows, especially in aftermarket applications.

Continental will showcase a demo vehicle with Intelligent Glass Control at the 2016 CES show in Las Vegas. The company has specified that the system will be production ready and that its price will slowly drop once more and more OEMs decide to fit their models with Intelligent Windows.

Currently, the production-ready film technology relies on suspended particles that can align in a way that blocks out the sun’s rays. Until now, the technology was only feasible in high-end cars and on small surfaces, but Continental is expanding it as far as legally possible. For now, the technology is available in the area usually covered by sun visors on the windshield and on a more broad area for other windows.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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