Porsche Showcases Thermal, Noise Insulated, 5 Layer Glass

Porsche has been at the forefront of automotive technology for decades. Its cars are typified by being fast and loud, but now Porsche has also embraced the electric powertrain with the Taycan - so it is also embracing a quieter cabin. To propel that further, it has developed a special glass that will keep things quiet inside the cabin. This new glass is created using a new thermal process which makes it noise insulated and will be available for all four-door models.

Porsche's Juergen Ochs explained that when the car entered a highway tunnel which was replete with concrete, there are huge reflections and the sound tends to bounce back towards the car especially. This effect gets compounded when the speed of the vehicle increases and that's why infotainment systems have a feature that dynamically increases the volume of the music as the car gathers speed.

"The type of glass in the vehicle plays a key role in acoustic comfort. And its effect can be precisely measured - whether on an exposed stretch of road or in a tunnel," Ochs added.

Taycan is Porsche's first EV

This glass according to Porsche is different from typical single-layer safety glass that is often used on the sides and rear of vehicles. This glass has five layers - three layers are film and then there is an additional middle layer of polyvinyl butyrate (PVB) which has special acoustic properties - it helps absorb the oscillation of the surrounding glass.

Porsche estimates it can reduce outside noise by about 7.3 percent in the frequency range from 630 hertz to 6.3 kilohertz. This range is very effective for the human ear as its optimal range is 3.5 to 4 kilohertz. Outdoor noise like police, fire engine, and ambulance sirens operate between the window of 360 to 630 hertz.

"That doesn't sound like much, but everyone who's ever tested the difference in driving conditions is impressed," Ochs elaborates. This glass will also be installed in the triangular panes and the rear windows.