Engineering Mastery to Keep Giant Wiper Blade Still
The Tesla Cybertruck has been the talk of the town in the last ten years. This episode of Jay Leno’s Garage delves deeper, questioning Franz von Holzhausen – Head of Design for Tesla – and Lars Moravy, Vice President of Automobile Engineering. However, what is most astonishing about the Cybertruck is not its chic look but the enormous windshield wiper.
“It was an aeronautical challenge. It was a mechanical challenge. It was a design challenge,” Moravy told Leno about the wiper. “It was a challenge to make a windshield wiper that would work at any speed, in any weather condition, and be virtually maintenance free.” He went on to explain that the wiper he designed was the first of its kind to be offered as a standard feature in a car. “It was a revolutionary concept,” he said. “It was a challenge to make something that was reliable, durable, and cost-effective.”
The vast magnitude and situation of the wiper posed quite a few aerodynamic challenges. In an effort to surmount them, Tesla devised a spoiler to be incorporated into the arm of the wiper, such that the force of the air passing over it would keep it compressed against the glass instead of bringing it to swing freely.
The windshield’s distinct, flat profile meant the engineering squad had to figure out the precise angles and timing for the wiper so that the water would be flung away from the vehicle. “That in itself is a good example of innovation in most companies, but it was just one small piece we had to complete,” Moravy noted.
“It takes a powerful motor to move such a colossal wiper,” remarks Tesla engineer, “with 600 or 800 watts of power just to have enough muscle to move at the necessary speeds and push water out of the way.”
The engineering collective had to collaborate with the von Holzhousen organization and the design staff to ultimately agree on a resolution about the wiper. For styling, their initial wish was to fashion the wiper in a miniature proportion; however, the bulky size was indeed indispensable for wiping liquid out of the camera’s viewpoint situated in front of the windshield.
According to Holzhousen, the design staff explored an alternative windshield wiper configuration. This would have included the blades concealed beneath the bonnet, which would emerge when necessary. However, this idea was too complex, so they opted for a more streamlined approach. Presumably the preferable arrangement of affixing the wiper to the A-pillar imparted favourable aerodynamic properties.
The 60-minute video is not exclusively regarding the Cybertruck’s windshield wipers. Leno gets a complete overview of the pick-up, including a comprehensive exploration of the varied customizations offered through its infotainment screen. Furthermore, he gets to take it for a spin off-road through a shallow pool. Unusually, during the movie, Leno contrasts the Cybertruck with the Chevrolet Corvair at several occasions – two cars that would seemingly have little in common.
