Is it feasible to create a sort of "electrochromatic" adjustable tint for all the windows of a car? I noticed the new Ferrari Superamerica has this feature for the roof panel and thought about how cool it would be to be able to dictate how dark or light the windows get. I'm guessing it would be an expensive item to create, but maybe we'll see this on the ULS. I've looked at the new S Class, which is being praised for it's rather boring innovations. Where are the real innovations though?

well they have those bathroom doors that are clear glass until they are closed and then they turn opaque. things always start out to expensive and only in the nicest or lux brands then they work their way into mainstream so its possible. the s class's inovations are worth being praised for and i dont think they are boring at all. the stop and go distronic is an amazing feature that is another step towards self driven cars. the air chambers in the seats that inflate/deflate on sharp corners while also acting as a massage chair is nothing to scoff at. the night vision has been around for a while though i like how they have intagrated it into the instrument cluster. the new safety features are reassuring though not very exciting i will give you that

The Maybach sedans have this feature that adjusts the opacity of the fixed skylight. The Cadillac Imaj concept also had a similar feature.

It may be a function of trying to make it work with the laminated safety glass of the windsield v/s regular tempered glass used in roof panels

That would be an awesome feature. The windows could turn 100% black whenever the doors are locked and no movement is detected in the vehicle. Such a feature could dissuade vehicle break-ins for such things as stealing radios and any loose valuables.

If they can make affordable Transitions sunglasses that detect the light and change their tint, I don't see this being out of the question.

If they can make affordable Transitions sunglasses that detect the light and change their tint, I don't see this being out of the question.

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Good point, except that those sunglasses do not transition uniformly. If a shadow falls over the lens, only the portions outside the shadow would darken. No big deal on a sunglass lens, but probably not acceptable on a vehicle's window. Or you could think of a situation where only the windows on one side of the car would darken.

A second drawback to the transition lenses is (at least when I used them about 10 years ago) that there is a limited range of transition. So... if you want really dark tint when the sun hits, you have to start from something that is farely dark.

Basically, car windows need something that can be controlled, not something dependent on the sun.

I saw a guy on a bimmer forum talking about this stuff...he mentions the unit and windows would cost a couple grand (maybe more...not sure) and it can be made to be tinted to any color including opaque, it can be adjusted throughout an entire range using a control unit...seems pretty cool.

Part of the question is, "What is default, and is it acceptable?" The easiest way to create said windows is to work with a default opaque window and apply electricity to orient the molecules into the clear state. Which means that if electricity to the car fails or just to the window...they will default to opaque, not a safe thing on a car. It is possible to do the other direction, but I believe it is not possible to achieve the entire spectrum...much less you are talking a highly significant cost. And do you really think the NHTSA is going to approve it? Or how about the states that do not allow tinting over a certain specification?

Yup, that would be cool!