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A modern car contains, on average, around 5 square metres of glass and that’s almost twice as much what a typical car had 30 years ago. While many components – from the inside mirror with a built-in sensor to the 3D speedometer – already function as high-tech, digitally connected components, car windows are large surfaces that are usually free from any kind of digital equipment, although they have tremendous potential.

This is the potential that Continental is increasingly looking to exploit. The technology company is enhancing and refining its Intelligent Glass Control solution, opening up whole new possibilities for greater comfort, safety and energy efficiency.

Thanks to new film technologies, panoramic sunroofs can already be dimmed on command more effectively than ever before. Sections of the windscreen can be tinted when the sun is low in the sky and the windows behind the B-pillar can be dimmed to provide more privacy on the rear seats. Windows can also be heated automatically without heating wires – and even be used as display surfaces.

Active and smart components
“Windows are becoming an increasingly active, smart component of the vehicle,” said Johann Hiebl, Head of the Body & Security and Infotainment & Connectivity business units at Continental. “Intelligent Glass Control is an innovative solution that we are currently developing so that windows can be integrated even more effectively into the car’s user interface. This will make driving more comfortable and safer – and, thanks to new dimming and heating functions, they will also enable significant energy savings. This development work represents an important step on the road toward electromobility and autonomous driving.”

Intelligent Glass Control uses special films that are integrated into the glass and change their degree of translucency on the basis of electrical control signals. A range of technologies are available for this purpose, although they present benefits and drawbacks in terms of visual quality and the speed with which a glass pane can be dimmed.

Smart windows have traditionally been used for panoramic sunroofs. Now, Continental is using – among other things – an innovative technology that is suitable for all the vehicle’s windows and significantly increases the potential of glass control: LC (liquid crystal) technology offers unprecedented quality for switchable glass in vehicles.

Greater privacy and fewer CO2 emissions
In an LC car window mold, liquid crystals mix with tiny paint particles in a special suspension that is, in turn, integrated into a fine film between two thin glass panes. Under the influence of a low AC voltage, the liquid crystals and paint particles align to either dim or lighten the windows.

“This LC-based technology has the potential to enable the ultimate in modern, smart glass pane systems,” explained Tobias Frischmuth, Technical Project Leader in Intelligent Glass Control at Continental. “The transparency or opacity of a window can be adjusted within milliseconds. It is crucial that the windows do not exhibit any visible residual turbidity when they are transparent. This technology is also available in different colours.”

The overall benefits of switchable glazing technologies: each individual car window can be dimmed separately on command. However, regulations in some countries mean that this is not currently allowed on all vehicle windows. If the rear windows are dimmed to provide greater privacy in the rear, for example, this will also have a noticeably positive impact on the interior climate. This means that the air-conditioning unit will not have to be used as much and CO2 emissions can be reduced.

If the tinting function in the windscreen is linked with the on-board power supply and cloud connection, specific sections of windows can be dimmed or brightened automatically in advance depending on the weather conditions or position of the sun. Not only will this technology mean that drivers will no longer have to reach for the sun visor – itself a risky move – it will ultimately render mechanical sun visors completely redundant.

Windows can also be heated automatically without heating wires – and even be used as display surfaces.

Helpful for cameras too
The effectiveness of adaptive camera systems can also be improved, thanks to Intelligent Glass Control. Adaptive camera systems are vital components for a wide range of autonomous driving functions and, if they are positioned close to the inside mirror, their function can be impaired when the sun is low in the sky.

With Intelligent Glass Control, smart car windscreens will also play a role in human–machine interaction, for example by displaying information output by the advanced driver assistance and infotainment systems. Windows could also be transformed into smart displays featuring a range of touchscreen elements. Continental possesses both the electronics know-how and systems expertise in the integration of innovative technology solutions necessary to make these visions a reality in the near future.

Chevron Malaysia Limited has officially launched the next evolution of workshop-customer experience that is the Caltex Havoline autoPro workshop programme. With Caltex being one of the industry leaders, the entire customer experience when visiting their workshops have been revolutionised for better comfort and ease. (more…)

Teams from the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) recently took the track for the pre-season ‘Prologue’ at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. This event is a prelude to the start of a new championship season and this year, the public test session saw the return of Goodyear to international motorsport competition.

The tyre company has announced its global racing comeback earlier, confirming that it will develop tyres for the 2019/2020 WEC season which begins at Silverstone on September 1. Goodyear has a proud history in motorsport. In addition to 14 wins in the Le Mans 24 hours, Goodyear tyres were on the racing cars that won 368 Formula One GPs – a record that stands unbeaten.

Goodyear was involved in F1 as a tyre supplier up till 1997.

New tyres for Le Mans Prototypes
Goodyear has been developing a new range of tyres for Le Mans Prototypes for over a year at their innovation centres in Germany) and Luxembourg. The first phase of this development plan is to introduce 5 new specifications of tyre for the highly-competitive LMP2 class in WEC.

This class, for 600-bhp prototypes, is one of the most demanding in WEC as it features a battle between tyre manufacturers. At the Prologue, the Jota Sport, Jackie Chan DC Racing, High Class Racing and TDS teams will try Goodyear’s latest development tyres. The WEC regulations allow tyre manufacturers to supply a range of 3 dry weather, one intermediate and one wet weather tyre to racing teams.

Goodyear will use the Prologue, followed by a 3-day private test session, to evaluate different tyre options. They will then reveal their 2019/2020 WEC tyre range at the Silverstone season-opener.

“The nature of the races (varying from 4 hours to 24 hours) mean tyre choice and strategy are critical and it provides a motivating challenge for our technology team in our European innovation centres ahead of exploring other racing opportunities for the brand.”
Ben Crawley – Director Goodyear Racing EMEA

To deliver high performance to teams
“For the Goodyear comeback, we are aiming high to deliver performance for our teams. The 2018/2019 WEC season featured an intense battle between the tyre manufacturers. Our priority has been to offer driveability and consistency that provides the teams with a significant step forward. These test sessions will allow us to evaluate the all-new range options against the competition before we define our range at Silverstone,” said Ben Crawley, Director Goodyear Racing EMEA, explaining the objectives.

“For the forthcoming season, Goodyear will focus on delivering success in LMP2 whilst evaluating other racing options for 2020 and beyond. These could be in other WEC classes or in other international racing categories,” he added.

The 2019/20 WEC season will feature 8 races on circuits of varying lengths, concluding at Le Mans in June 2020. The season also includes two 4-hour races (Silverstone and Shanghai), three 6-Hour races (Fuji, Sao Paulo and Spa-Francorchamps) and two 8-hour races (Bahrain and Sebring). The Toyota GAZOO Racing team won the 2018/2019 season.

The Toyota GAZOO Racing team won the 2018/2019 season and will contest again in the new championship season.

The title is right, ladies and gentlemen. The folks from Honda Malaysia will be giving away NINE different models this year in conjunction of their Road to 900,000th Unit Milestone Campaign where they will be celebrating the sale of 900,000 units which is going to happen in Q3 2019. (more…)

One of the world’s most recognized companies and legendary die-cast toy car manufacturer Hot Wheels made their way to the AOS 2019 (Art of Speed Malaysia) and to make things extremely special, they’ve unveiled their latest Hot Wheels Japan Historics 3 collection. (more…)

♦ Rain created a drama-filled race which delighted spectators who had not seen so much action in a while.

♦ Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen collected his second win of the 2019 season. The Dutch driver has won 7 F1 races to date.

♦ Lewis Hamilton, who was ill, finished 11th but got promoted two positions up as a result of 30-second penalties imposed on both Alfa Romeo drivers for start-line offences.

♦ Robert Kubica’s promotion to tenth place gave the Williams team, powered by Mercedes engines, its first point of the season.

♦ Russian driver, Daniil Kvyat, had two reasons to celebrate after the race. First was his unexpected third place after a chaotic race and second was the birth of his first child the same day.

♦ The event might not have been run this year had Mercedes-Benz not come in to provide support as the main title sponsor and provided much-needed financial support.

Next race in Hungary on August 4

 

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