Only this car brand dares to replace traditional wipers with lasers

In recent years, automotive manufacturers appear to be attempting to reinvent things that do not actually need changing. We have seen electric door handles that raise concerns regarding vehicle access and egress during emergencies.

There are also touchscreens that have taken over various controls that were previously very simple and intuitive. Tesla has been doing things like this for years, and they do not seem to have stopped trying to solve problems that already have existing solutions.

What they are currently working on is replacing wipers and windshield washers with laser beams, as reported by the CarBuzz website on Sunday (1-3/9) local time.

In 2021, Tesla obtained a patent for this idea. Now, in 2026, it has been discovered that Tesla has once again obtained a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with number #2026/0257648 A1 for the idea of using lasers to clean vehicle windshields and other glass surfaces.

Strangely, if both patents are examined, their contents appear almost identical. They even use the same illustrations and list the same inventor. It remains unknown why Tesla has filed practically identical patents.

The patent describes a sensor system that can integrate capacitive surfaces on the windshield to detect dirt, as well as a camera system to pinpoint the exact location of the debris. Subsequently, lasers will be fired in pulses towards the dirt until it is removed.

Tesla also mentions that this system could be applied to other products, such as residential solar panels.

Tesla believes this technology could help reduce the time required to clean surfaces because there is no need for drying, while simultaneously avoiding the use of ‘advanced chemical solutions’ that have the potential to damage components.