As an indigenous member of the northeast population, I would like to bring to your attention a technology that has been WAY too long in the making. Apparently Volkswagen is testing out a new windshield coating that keeps ice, fog and frost from forming on the windshield. Volkswagen is currently working with researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Technology (IST) in Braunschweig, Germany with the goal of making their research a reality. Apparently the coating goes well beyond something as simple as heated windows and or a defroster. According to researchers the key to this new technology comes in the form of a thin coating of transparent indium tin oxide that is applied to the windshield pre-production.
Volkswagen Development representative Thomas Drescher states, “We call this a ‘Low-E’ (low thermal emissivity) coating. Applied to the outer glazing, it prevents heat from radiating skyward. We are proud of this innovation and will promote it throughout the Group. That is because an ice-free window is an added convenience to our customers,” – you got the right!
As of right now the product is still not ready for a final release on production vehicles. When it is though you can bet your sweet tukus that every manufacturer on the planet is going to want a piece of it.