Array-type LC control on the ES9
The NIO ES9 globally debuts an array-type LC (liquid crystal, dye liquid crystal technology) smart privacy dimming window, moving control from the entire window to separate regions. The architecture forms 64 controllable zones across six side windows in the second and third rows.
Within that total, the second-row main window and triangular window each have 11 zones per side, for 44 zones across both sides. The third row has 10 zones per side, for 20 zones across both sides.
Privacy and heat rejection figures
In its privacy state, the ES9 window's visible light transmittance is as low as 0.2%, corresponding to privacy needs in real vehicle use scenarios. At the whole-window level, the glass blocks 99% or more of ultraviolet and infrared radiation, combining sun protection with heat insulation.
Precision patterning and durability
NIO introduced semiconductor-grade precision lithography for the ES9, bringing the zone dividing lines to about 10 microns, roughly one-seventh the diameter of a human hair. The black border along the upper edge of the door glass is as low as 10 mm, preserving more usable visibility for occupants.
The ES9's LC devices offer millisecond-level response. Moving windows must meet durability requirements of tens of thousands of up-and-down cycles, and validation spans more than 100 standards from film and glass assembly to the complete vehicle.
Development adjustments and dimming modes
During the first installation validation, the team found that under the existing light-transmittance definition, interior screens that lit up could still be seen from outside when the window was in privacy state. The team adjusted the optical combination of the glass assembly, including deepening the middle PVB interlayer, to further reduce overall light transmittance.