With summer approaching, we start to notice the “heat island” effect in our cities: higher street temperatures caused by the absorption of heat from the sun. The problem is that this extra heat encourages the formation of photochemical oxidants, which cause more air pollution. To fight this heat build-up, some cities use heat-shielding material on paved surfaces, although these tend to wear out quickly with the abrasive effect of heavy traffic.

Although motorists have taken big steps in recent years to improve road safety, such as using seat belts and not drinking when we drive, the next great leap forward in safer driving is coming from ADAS – Advanced Driver Assistance Systems based on sensors, cameras, radar and light detection & ranging technology linked to the on-board computer (see AGC February News: “Meet ADAS…”).

Around 150 World, European & Swiss premieres and dozens of other stellar offerings were under the spotlight at this Geneva International motor show. The Volvo S90, Skoda C-SUV, Alfa Giulia, Audi Q2 and in the luxury segment, the Maserati Levante and Porsche 718 Boxster are a few examples.

The Geneva International Motor Show has displayed almost every automobile model produced, ever since steam-powered carriages of the early 1900s. But it is not only one of the world’s greatest auto salons; as Europe’s first major show of the year, Geneva also sets the tone for the rest of the year.

AGC Automotive Europe is supplying the rear window with built-in antennas for the eagerly awaited Mercedes-Benz E-Class. For the first time ever the European automotive branch of AGC has designed this technology entirely in-house, from the design and production of the glass to development of the antennas and incorporating them into the end product. The network of antennas which neatly blends with the defrosting elements comprises no fewer than eight different applications* covering the radio, television and operational requirements (such as RKE**) of the vehicle occupants.

AGC announced that it will strengthen its system to supply cover glass for car-mounted displays at its subsidiary AGC Display Glass Yonezawa Co., Ltd. to meet strong demand.

As reported in our December newsletter, AGC has developed new expertise in embedded antennas, bringing significant advantages to OEM customers. Driving this development is the proliferation of on-board communication equipment – such as 4G, GPS, Wi-Fi – and the continual search for efficiencies by car manufacturers.

In an interview for the Just-auto's magazine Antoine Luijkx of AGC Automotive Europe's Strategic Marketing department shared some key market and technical trends driving the auto glazing sector and how windows could become a screen for more infotainment in the self-driving car.

First seen at the Milan Design Week last year, Glascene is a revolutionary AGC transparent glass screen for projecting images. The big difference is that with Glascene the glass stays transparent when images are projected, creating a beautiful montage of floating images on a window – while keeping the full, uninterrupted view behind.

Self-driving cars may seem like a dream of the future, but much of the technology that supports the idea is already on the market. It’s called Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) – in-vehicle features which help the driver either avoid a crash (active safety) or reduce its impact (passive safety). Car manufacturers are packing more and more ADAS into their new models to help us drive smarter, and drive safer.