Tesla has been caught patenting a revolutionary new design for a windscreen wiper that uses electromagnetic technology to be both more efficient and better looking than conventional systems.
Using electromagnets and guiderails, the new wiper system is said to harness similar technology currently used on high-speed maglev trains.
This, it's thought, will allow a levitating single wiper arm to travel across the screen far faster than a conventional wiper system.
Filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on September 5, the crucial part of the new design is that -- as well as being faster -- the maglev system draws less current than a traditional wiper motor, which wastes more energy through mechanical friction.
This means employing the new wipers could boost the claimed driving range in an EV.
Other analysts have suggested that instead of saving energy, the real reason for the dramatic redesign of the windscreen wiper is to boost visibility -- not for the driver but for Tesla's next-generation Autopilot autonomous driving system.
Better visibility in poor weather conditions should approve the accuracy of such a system and therefore reduce the risk of an accident. However, the drawings provide no indication about when Tesla plans to implement its new electromagnetic wiper tech.