Replacement Windshield is Heated?

[Larry Paul]

Our 2002 Toyota Rav4EV has a “HWS” (Heated Windshield System) that defrosts the front window in seconds. (Granted, I don’t have ice to contend with in So Cal, just fogging.) FYI: There are no visible wires in the glass. It uses a thin film layer of of transparent metal in the laminated windshield.

Just to be clear, this is not a wiper blade section that gets warm offered on other Toyota models. This is the entire front windshield that defrosts with high voltage.

it works so much better than the traditional defroster.

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[Ev Blau]

^^ This!
I think US regulations don’t allow heated windshields?

I’ve had heated rear windshields on my SUV’s for many years. Of course, they were Audi’s! Love them.

 

[ARK]

There's no might about it. It would definitely help. Heated windshields make a ton of sense in EVs that are trying to be as efficient as possible. Firing up the PTC heater just to get a bit of fog or frost of the windshield is a tremendous waste of energy.

OP mentioned it, but a huge downside for some people are those little lines everywhere. Some people are not bothered by them, but for me personally, I get very distracted by them at night on the handful of vehicles I’ve driven with this option.

During the daytime, it’s fine, but at night, the lights from other cars blooms because it catches the heating lines.

The effect is not so different than having a dusty windshield. I know some people have no problem driving around with a filthy windshield, so I suspect whether someone is bothered or not by these lines depends on how clean they need their windshield to be.

 

[DevSecOps]

I’ve had heated rear windshields on my SUV’s for many years. Of course, they were Audi’s! Love them.

Ummm ... I hate to break it to you, but this topic is just about the front. I think most modern vehicles, excluding some trucks, have rear window defrost strips.

But, they are perfectly legal in the USA and have no restrictions. I've owned a few German cars with front defrost strips and I agree that they bother me.

 

[generaltso]

OP mentioned it, but a huge downside for some people are those little lines everywhere. Some people are not bothered by them, but for me personally, I get very distracted by them at night on the handful of vehicles I’ve driven with this option.

Maybe that‘s why they’re less common here. Euro driver may be more used to them so less bothered by them? I don’t think I’ve ever actually driven a vehicle with a heated windshield, so I don’t really know if it would bother me.

 

[Larry Paul]

OP mentioned it, but a huge downside for some people are those little lines everywhere. Some people are not bothered by them, but for me personally, I get very distracted by them at night on the handful of vehicles I’ve driven with this option.

That was what was so amazing about the 2002 Rav4EV. Super fast defrosting-and NO lines-just looks like normal windshield glass.

 

[Pioneer74]

 

[Tyldum]

It might help the fogging we get when we try to squeeze a few more miles out of the battery by keeping the heater/defroster off.

Heater is more effective, the heated windshield uses massive amounts of energy when turned on.

 

[Larry Paul]

Heater is more effective, the heated windshield uses massive amounts of energy when turned on.

From my experience with our Rav4EV, I have found the opposite to be true. The windshield does use more energy when it is on, but it is on for such a short amount of time when compared to using air to heat the windshield.

 

[Billyk24]

^^ This!
I think US regulations don’t allow heated windshields?

Ford had such as far back in the 1980s labeled instant clear.

 

[mccdeuce]

My e-Golf has a heated windshield. Comparing to the Mach-E heater for defrost - I prefer the MME.

 

[67mustang]

Safelite?? In Colorado??
You get what you get. And it is not what you want or requested.
Safelite won the glass wars in Colorado. The "consumer" lost. And continues to loose.

First I'm hearing of some "glass wars" after being in Colorado the last 25 years..

 

[Larry Paul]

Ford had such as far back in the 1980s labeled instant clear.

I think it went back to the 1970’s. They had a second alternator just dedicated to the windshield.

Interesting that GM reportedly just applied for a patent:
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/07/gm-files-patent-for-electrically-heated-windshield/

 

[Larry Paul]

I think it went back to the 1970’s. They had a second alternator just dedicated to the windshield.

Interesting that GM reportedly just applied for a patent:
https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/07/gm-files-patent-for-electrically-heated-windshield/

According to this post, 1974 (this is what I recall). See second post:

https://www.fordforumsonline.com/threads/electric-defrosting-windshields.6601/

 

[generaltso]

Heater is more effective, the heated windshield uses massive amounts of energy when turned on.

Really? I would think that the heating elements in the windshield would run at 12V and use far less total energy than the HVAC system. But I've admittedly never owned a car with one.

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