Rivian is looking to patent heated headlight lenses to help increase the performance of the lighting on its electric pickup trucks and SUVs in snow, ice, and rain.
The LED headlights that have become the standard in the auto industry don’t give off so much waste heat all the time as previous HID or halogen lights, which can often melt any accumulated moisture by themselves. That’s what Rivian is trying to address with this patent, which was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Jun. 21, 2023, but only published by that office Dec. 26, 2024.
Rivian heated headlight patent image
In that document, Rivian discusses adding a layer of carbon nanotube material to the outer lens of a headlight. This would be surrounded by a silver bus-bar heating element, which would transmit heat to the nanotube layer, warming it and in turn allowing it to melt anything accumulating on the headlight lens.
Carbon nanotube material is comprised of tube-shaped lattices of carbon atoms less than a nanometer in diameter—hence the name. Carbon nanotubes are known to gave good thermal conductivity, which might explain Rivian’s choice of the material here.
Rivian heated headlight patent image
There’s been much talk of the importance of heated seats, and even heated seat belts, in EVs as a more efficient way to fight cold temperatures with minimal additional energy draw. But this is more about lighting technology than powertrain technology, specifically the need to clear LED lighting elements of accumulated precipitation that could partially block them.
Not all patented ideas reach production, and it’s unclear how much of a priority heated headlights are for Rivian right now. The automaker is preparing to start production of its more-affordable R2 electric SUV in 2026 and open a new Georgia plant by 2028, with the latter expected to receive a boost from a $6.6 billion federal loan.