Saint-Gobain Sekurit has developed the zenith windshield for the new Citroen C3 that is shown on the current IAA in Frankfurt. It is the biggest 2-in-1 windshield that has ever been produced in this segment.

The "zenith" windshield is the name given by Citroën for the single glass part that includes the windshield and part of the roof. This innovative zenith windshield has a height of 1525 mm (1,525 m) and goes up to the head spaces. It gives light and freedom feeling for the occupants and consequently increases visual comfort. Particularly noteworthy is the shaded band that is totally integrated in the roof and windshield line. With its height of 600 mm it is the biggest shaded band that currently exists in the market; specially developed for this windshield by Saint-Gobain Sekurit. In comparison: standard size of a shaded band is normally 250 mm. This special shaded band reduces light and heat transmission through the roof and hence increases thermal comfort into the car. Moreover it is to point out that the complete zenith windshield consists of laminated glass that gives to the windshield its safety properties.

A US Court has awarded Saint-Gobain $10.9 million in compensation, after concluding that Xinyi Automobile Glass Co. Ltd., violated Saint-Gobain windshield extrusion patents.

Nine jurors returned a unanimous verdict in a U.S. District Court of Ohio on Nov 10, 2009 that Xinyi, a Chinese windshield maker, wilfully infringed two Saint-Gobain patents.

These patents, covering the windshield design and a method for easier installation, concern 14 windshield models, most of which are installed in Volvo, Audi and Volkswagen automobiles.

The suit demonstrated that Xinyi, by importing automotive glazings such as windshields and selling them to car dealers or glass fitters, infringed Saint-Gobain’s US patents, granted respectively in March 1992 and October 2001.

Systaic AG and Saint-Gobain Sekurit will start a cooperation to provide automotive markets with photovoltaic sunroof modules.

The agreement opens up the opportunity for both companies to develop and market light commercial vehicles as well as industrial vehicles (buses, trucks, lorries, motorhomes …) makers with solar roof modules that will be used to power electric ancillaries. The market for automotive solar roof modules is expected to grow vigorously in the coming years as under tougher environmental regulations, the OEMs are rushing to develop green vehicles including hybrid or electric vehicles, and vehicle on-board solar power is a way to reduce CO₂ emissions and increase range.

The cooperation between Systaic and Saint-Gobain Sekurit will allow both companies to be at the forefront of this growing market.

Systaic AG, headquartered in Dusseldorf (Germany), is engaged in the engineering, production, installation and maintenance of solar power systems. It specializes in efficient and aesthetical solar power solutions, manufacturing building integrated photovoltaic systems and conventional photovoltaic power plants. Systaic is a pioneer – and the world's only industrial producer – of solar generators for various car brands.

In the summertime, the heat inside a car can often be unbearable. Through the irradiation inside the car, the temperature inside often increases above 30 Degrees Celsius. The aftermath for the occupants can be fatigue, decreased concentration, circulation problems, and reduction of fitness, as well as a slower reaction time. This damage resulting from warmth can cause accidents.

Special anti heat glazing offers protection from heat, as well as from dangerous UV rays. There are two special types of anti-heat glazing: dark toned glazing from the B-pillar and heat reflecting glass, which can be installed for all laminated glass such as the windshield. The thin silver coating between the layered safety glass works like a mirror and reflects the solar energy before it comes into the interior. This means 5°C lower air temperature (headrest) and 11°C lower temperature of dashboard and steering wheel after parking in the sun. The time to reach a comfortable interior temperature is reduced 1/3 of the normal time.  With dark tinted glazing the energy transmission amounts to 12 to 32 percent, depending on the degree of shade. 52 to 66 percent of the heat and light does not end up inside the parked car due to the heat that it is stored inside the glazing. The car warms up slower and the occupants are pleased with a cooler interior.  In addition, special anti-heat glazing reduces UV transmission, this means, the glazing protects from UV-A and UV-B rays that have negative effects on the driver.  UV-A rays cause among other things, skin changes, wrinkling as well as light sun burns, whereas UV-B rays are more aggressive, have properties that cause sunburns and produce a high risk for skin cancer. Dark tinted glazing, as well as heat reflecting glazing, absorbs all UV-B rays. Furthermore, heat reflecting glazing blocks 100 percent of UV-A rays. But also dark tinted glazing lets only 0, 9 to 3, 6 percent of the UV-A rays through.

Saint-Gobain Sekurit supplies different glazing options to the new Exeo that has been presented by Seat in Valencia at the end of February 2009: Windshields with acoustic glazing and heat reflecting glazing, also laminated side glazing or dark tinted glazing behind the B-pillar. These innovative added value glazing reduce the sound level in the vehicle as well as they improve thermal comfort.

The specific acoustic windshield which is optionally available for the new Seat Exeo provides acoustic comfort. 51 percent of the noise enters into the car through the windshield. The specifically developed acoustic glazing improves the performance of laminated glazing with the help of an acoustic interlayer. This acoustic PVB (=Polyvinylbutyral), a Saint-Gobain Sekurit innovation, is a plastic film that greatly diminishes the transmission of high and low frequency noises, those that disturb passengers most. Thanks to this specific acoustic windshield the noise level inside the passengers’ cell will be reduced.Laminated sidelites are another glazing option. With good noise isolation in comparison to tempered glazing of the same thickness, laminated side glazing offers a better noise protection. It protects passengers against unrequested street noise. At the same time it increases safety and security in the car and offers additional protection against UV rays because 99 percent of the UV rays are blocked by the PVB and so they can not enter into the vehicle. Thus it prevents skin burns and itching.

Additionally laminated side glazing offers antitheft properties. Breaking into a car with laminated side glazing takes at least 10 times longer when compared to tempered glazing. Glazing options such as heat reflecting windshield and dark tinted glazing behind the B-pillar (rear doors, fixed sidelites and backlites) decreases heat loading into the car and reduces the time to reach a comfortable temperature in the vehicle.