Tesla’s new technology could help keep you cool in a heatwave

Tesla has filed a patent for a clever new glass structure that could stop your car turning into a greenhouse on a hot day.

The patent, published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, describes a double-layered glass panel with tiny perforated holes drilled into the inner pane.

Here’s the clever bit… Between the outer and inner layers of glass sits a small air gap, and that gap can be hooked up directly to the car’s HVAC system.

Cool or warm air gets pumped into that gap, then filters through the perforated holes and into the cabin. It’s a bit like a soundproofing panel doubling up as air conditioning.

It’s designed for use in car roofs, windows, or anywhere Tesla wants to let more natural light in without cooking its passengers.

I reckon this is a genuinely smart bit of engineering (although costly to replace if the glass were to break). Glass roofs look brilliant and make a cabin feel airy, but anyone who’s sat in one during a heatwave knows they turn into a sauna fast. If Tesla can solve that without ditching the glass, it’s a proper win.

It should also solve one of the biggest problems I have with air con – a powerful fan blowing a jet of drying cold air in your face. This gentle shower of cool air sounds much more pleasant.

The patent also claims the structure cuts down on road and wind noise, which is the other big trade-off with all-glass roofs.

Tesla says the size of the holes, how densely they’re packed, and the width of the air gap can all be tweaked to tune exactly which frequencies of noise get absorbed.

It’s worth remembering that a patent filing isn’t a promise of a product. Car makers file dozens of these every year and plenty never make it past the page.

But Tesla‘s love of glass is well documented, from the Cybertruck’s ‘unbreakable’ windows to the large glass roofs on the Model Y and Model 3, so this feels like a natural next step for the brand.

There’s no word yet on which model, if any, might actually get this tech, or when we might see it in the metal, I mean, glass.

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Spencer Hart Buying Guide Editor

About

As Buying Guide Editor, Spencer is responsible for all e-commerce content on Stuff, overseeing buying guides as well as covering deals and new product launches. Spencer has been writing about consumer tech for over eight years. He has worked on some of the biggest publications in the UK, where he covered everything from the emergence of smartwatches to the arrival of self-driving cars. During this time, Spencer has become a seasoned traveller, racking up air miles while travelling around the world reviewing cars, attending product launches, and covering every trade show known to man, from Baselworld and Geneva Motor Show to CES and MWC. While tech remains one of his biggest passions, Spencer also enjoys getting hands-on with the latest luxury watches, trying out new grooming kit, and road-testing all kinds of vehicles, from electric scooters to supercars.

Areas of expertise

Watches, travel, grooming, transport, tech