Cadillac’s Next Celestiq Flagship Has A Smart Color-Changing Roof



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“SPD technology is smart glass that allows you to change the tint of the glass,” Harary explained. “There is this film that we invented which contains small nanoparticles, which you can control with a small electric voltage. So basically this movie … that lets you choose whatever level of tint you want.

“The crystals are about three to five tenths of a micron in length and they act like induced dipoles, so when you apply an electric field to conductive coatings in the film,” Harary continued, “the particles will line up and pass through. the light. through. Then when you remove the voltage, their natural tendency is to be in the dark state due to Brownian motion and that causes the glass to tint.

Because the tint partially blocks incoming photons, it also reduces the amount of glare felt by the driver and the heat trapped in the vehicle – over 99.5% light and 95% heat, according to a press release in January by the company. The claim is that this allows vehicle occupants to stay comfortable for longer without having to turn on the air conditioning, as well as keeping the interior up to 18 degrees (F) cooler overall, Harary said. .

“You make the car safer because you lower the center of gravity and reduce the weight on the roof; you use your air conditioning less, ”Harary said, adding that“ Continental Automotive has calculated that you can save four grams per kilometer of CO2 emissions, ”by using this technology. In countries like the European Union, where drivers are taxed based on the amount of CO2 their vehicles emit per distance traveled, reducing by four grams per kilometer can result in significant savings on operating expenses – around 380 € (~ $ 410) per year on average.

Plus, these weight and energy savings should translate into longer range for EVs, as battery stores aren’t used to power the air conditioner or help carry unnecessary extra weight. Safety and sound dampening effects are also increased – at least compared to a conventional soft top – since you are riding under a sheet of laminated glass rather than an aluminum roof frame and heavy canvas.

We’ll, of course, see this tech in the Celestiq once it hits dealer showrooms in 2023. However, the Celestiq – operating under the auspices of being Caddy’s new flagship EV – is expected to be a hand made monster. retail the sedan for $ 200,000 and up, not exactly what most people would consider affordable, especially in this economy. However, Harary remains convinced that as the technology spreads, consumers will soon begin to see it not only in more affordable car models, but also in billboards, advertising campaigns and even ‘modern architecture.

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