Rivian patents heated headlight lenses

The latest LED headlights have problems. They are bright, compact, and energy efficient, but they do not generate as much heat as HID or halogen lights. This means that they are prone to snow, ice, and moisture, which can disrupt the lighting. Rivian seems to be working on a solution.

In a patent application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Rivian reveals a heated LED headlight lens design. This document was filed by Rivian on June 21, 2023, but was not published by the USPTO until December 26, 2024.

Rivian's design adds a layer of carbon nanotubes (so named because they consist of a tube-like lattice of carbon atoms less than one nanometer in diameter) to the outer lens of the headlight. Carbon nanotubes are known for their excellent thermal conductivity, which may explain why Rivian chose this material.

This layer is surrounded by a silver bus-bar heating element. When an electric current is applied to this heating element, the carbon nanotube layer is heated, melting snow, ice, and other moisture on the headlights.

While many of the patented ideas will never reach production, Rivian may no longer have to deal with the regulatory hurdles that have previously hindered the latest headlight technology in the U.S. In 2022, after nearly a decade of petitioning from automakers, the NHTSA finally approved the latest matrix headlights, and approved their use. It remains to be seen how safety regulators will react to Rivian's integrated heating elements, but at least they have shown a willingness to revisit archaic lighting regulations.

Rivian has received a $5.8 billion investment from Volkswagen and conditional approval of a $6.6 billion loan from the federal government for a Georgia plant scheduled to open in 2028.