It’s not a new idea, but electrochromic glass has a mysterious quality to it. If you’ve ever sat in a car with a sunroof made of it, you know how great it is. Press a button that turns the window from clear and bright to dark, protecting your head from the sun. Toyota has added the technology to its top-of-the-line Century luxury SUV, which is only offered in Japan. The back windows of the Century are also electrochromic, which means they let soft light in and turn frosted instead of completely dark. Even though it’s not a new function, it’s making headlines. Even though it came out two years ago, the Century’s many other showy tech gadgets made it less noticeable. When Toyota released the latest Century, it came with a car that had folding doors. The Century has a drive mode designed to make the back seats more comfortable, as it is assumed that owners of this vehicle will likely not drive it themselves. The captain’s chairs in the second row can be almost flat and feature footrests that move independently. But the side windows have caught our eye. Toyota says that the three forms can be switched between clear, semi-translucent, and opaque. The fact that the glass doesn’t darken is another interesting aspect of it. Light can get through, but you can’t see what’s on the other side. It must be strange to be involved as a passenger, and it’s a great way to use technology. The company that made the technology is AGC. The company states that the Century is the first car with electrochromic glass doors. Before the turn of the Century, this kind of technology was only used on fixed roof segments. AGC says it had to test the system to ensure it could handle the mechanical demands of moving glass. It’s easy to explain how it works: a thin layer of “special material” (a mix that’s not so easy) has particles spread out randomly to scatter light. When a charge is applied to the film, the particles align, making it see-through. Toyota uses the phrase “sitting in a Japanese-style room” to describe the hazy effect in their marketing materials. That makes sense since Toyota has long used the Century to showcase what can happen when the best Japanese art and technology are combined in one car. We’re still sad that we won’t be able to ride in it in the US, but Toyota was able to bring the Crown here safely a few years ago, so we shouldn’t rule out the Century’s chances of doing the same.
