Tesla has received a patent for a new type of windshield wiper that it has designed for electric and autonomous cars.
The automaker originally filed to protect it in 2019, but the patent was not issued until this January.
The "electromagnetic windshield wiper system" replaces the traditional setup, where wiper arm s are attached to fixed electric motors that sweep them across an arc.
Instead, it features a linear actuator installed at the bottom of the windshield along which a box moves back and forth like a magnetic train.
TESLA CYBERTRUCK SPOTTED WITH STRANGE NEW FEATURE
Tesla's patent uses electromagnetic actuators to move the wiper. (Tesla)
Tesla says the low friction setup is more energy efficient and less susceptible to wear and corrosion than an electric motor. The arm is attached to the block along with a magnetic rotational actuator that can sweep it as the block moves its base.
Tesla says the system is more energy efficient. (Tesla)
According to the patent, this allows for more coverage of the glass and can also keep the blade better attached to the surface, especially if it is curved. It also provides for the wiper to be parked horizontally and hidden under the hood when not in use for improved aerodynamics.
Tesla has not indicated if and on what model the wiper may debut. (Tesla)
Tesla has not shown any vehicles equipped with the design yet. In fact, its next model features the complete opposite.
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Cybertruck prototypes have been spotted with a single giant wiper attached to the bottom corner of the windshield that sits upright along the driver's side, but still does not appear to be able to reach as much of the glass as would be ideal.
The Cybertruck uses a single wiper attached to the bottom corner of the windshield. (SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images)
"The wiper is what troubles me most. No easy solution. Deployable wiper that stows in front trunk would be ideal, but complex," Tesla's CEO wrote on Twitter last year commenting on the design.
A Cybertruck was photographed w2ith a half-size windshield wiper. (Photographer: Nic Coury/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Another Cybertruck has also been photographed with what appears to be a wiper arm that is half the size and possibly capable of folding like a switchblade, but there has been no official comment on how it works.
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The patent is no guarantee the wiper system will be put into production, but Elon Musk said the Cybertruck definitely will be sometime this year, when its wiper design will be finalized.