The comfort of a modern car at high speeds is largely an acoustic engineering feat, and the windshield plays a surprising role in it. Road noise, aerodynamic wind noise, and engine sound primarily enter the cabin through the large glass surfaces.
The curious fact is that the windshield of modern vehicles is engineered to be a noise insulator. This is achieved thanks to the same Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) film that holds the glass together in the event of an accident (laminated glass technology).
In luxury models and many electric vehicles (where engine noise no longer masks it), manufacturers use a PVB film with a special thickness and enhanced damping properties. This intermediate layer not only provides safety but also absorbs sound waves of different frequencies, drastically reducing the amount of external noise that reaches the driver’s and passengers’ ears.
Thanks to this “silent engineering” of laminated glass, the car’s cabin becomes a tranquil oasis, even when driving at highway speeds.