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Tesla patent envisions lasers that act like windshield wipers to clean debris off cars

The electric vehicle maker has a new idea to keep cars clean.

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Headshot of Dashia Milden
Dashia Milden Editor
Dashia is the consumer insights editor for CNET. She specializes in data-driven analysis and news at the intersection of tech, personal finance and consumer sentiment. Dashia investigates economic shifts and everyday challenges to help readers make well-informed decisions, and she covers a range of topics, including technology, security, energy and money. Dashia graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She loves baking, teaching spinning and spending time with her family.
Dashia Milden
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The electric car company originally filed the patent application in 2018. 

 James Martin/CNET

Tesla has thought up a new way to use lasers -- as windshield wipers. The US Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Tesla a patent on a way of using laser beams to clean debris off a windshield, and potentially other glass parts of a vehicle. 

The patent is titled "Pulsed laser cleaning of debris accumulated on glass articles in vehicles and photovoltaic assemblies." The laser beams would act as "a cleaning apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a beam optics assembly configured to emit a laser beam to irradiate a region on a glass article that is installed in the vehicle," according to the patent. 

Tesla filed a patent application for the laser-based technology back in 2018, which was previously reported by Electrek. 

But just because the electric car company has a patent doesn't mean you'll see lasers on the next Tesla car. It's possible, but unlikely to be in production anytime soon. Last month, Tesla filed a patent application for a new glass-forming method for the Cybertruck. 

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