Volkswagen introduces wireless demisting

Volkswagen has taken a well-established idea and turned it on its head, wiring up the passive solar-reflecting silver oxide layer in windscreens to keep the screen clear of ice and frost in winter.

It's the conductivity of the thin, metal layer – sandwiched between the inner and outer glass in laminated windscreens – that lends itself to warming the windscreen without any obtrusive wiring. According to VW, the new way of demisting requires no more than 400 to 500 Watts.

Volkswagen does persist with wire filaments at the base of the screen to melt ice that holds the wipers stuck fast to the glass.

During hotter months, the climate windscreen – without current running through it – reflects direct solar energy, reducing the load on the car's climate control system. According to the manufacturer, up to 60 per cent of sunlight is reflected, which reduces temperatures inside the cabin by as much as 15 degrees more than conventional glass with green tinting.

Priced from €340 (AUD $482), the climate windscreen is offered in Europe as an option for the Golf, Golf Sportsvan, Tiguan, Sharan, Passat and Passat Variant (wagon).