Article · AI translation
IT Home reported on November 10 that the laser windshield-cleaning technology Tesla previously proposed could be used in the Cybercab autonomous taxi in the future.
IT Home noted that Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, discussed the technology on the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage. He said Tesla is exploring the use of focused lasers to remove dirt from the windshield directly in front of cameras, ensuring that the autonomous-driving cameras have a clear view.
During the interview, Moravy discussed Tesla’s previously filed patent for laser windshield cleaning. He pointed out that cleaning the entire windshield with lasers would require a large number of laser devices and would have little practical value.
But the situation would be different if the lasers were focused on a small area directly in front of the cameras. Such an approach could have practical value for autonomous vehicles.
As early as 2021, while Tesla was developing the Cybertruck, Elon Musk jokingly mentioned laser wipers. Tesla ultimately did not adopt that approach, instead equipping the Cybertruck with a giant 48-inch wiper.
According to a previously published 2025 wiper replacement guide, Tesla is the sole supplier of wiper blades specific to its models, and the products are sold through Tesla’s official store.
Tesla has not abandoned laser-cleaning technology, however. On March 31 this year, Tesla’s updated laser-cleaning patent was officially approved, indicating that the company is still exploring the approach.
The system described in the patent can detect foreign matter on the windshield, identify the type of contamination, and adjust the laser pulses accordingly. For safety, the system also limits how deeply the laser beam penetrates so that it does not pass through the glass.
Some Tesla owners have reported problems with their vehicles’ automatic wipers, such as activating when the glass is dry or failing to respond promptly to light rain.
These problems, however, mainly concern when the system activates the wipers and how quickly they sweep; the laser-cleaning approach is not designed to address automatic-wiper problems in ordinary passenger cars.
By comparison, autonomous taxis may be better suited to this technology. For a Robotaxi, the entire windshield does not necessarily have to be perfectly clean, as long as the view in front of the cameras is clear enough. Such targeted cleaning clearly makes more sense than it does for vehicles driven by people or vehicles requiring a driver to supervise FSD.
A laser-cleaning system does not need to touch the glass or rely on the mechanical movement of conventional wipers, aligning with a design principle Tesla has long emphasized: “The best part is no part.”
Compared with conventional wipers, a laser system may require fewer parts and have no moving mechanical components, potentially reducing maintenance needs for Robotaxis.
Tesla currently recommends that owners replace their windshield wiper blades once a year. Switching to an automated, contactless cleaning system could, in theory, further reduce maintenance work.
This is especially important for the Cybercab. Because the vehicle may have no driver at all, dirt on the windshield or a wiper failure could affect its ability to continue picking up passengers. If a laser-cleaning system can operate reliably, it could automatically remove dirt from the area within the cameras’ field of view while the vehicle is on its way to pick up the next passenger, without human intervention.