Gorilla Glass, used for cell phones, is coming to cars
[...] car makers are using an automotive version to help shave weight off their vehicles and improve fuel economy.
Annealed glass forms a spider web pattern when it breaks, and the pieces are designed to stick to the plastic layer to prevent injury to passengers.
The glass meets U.S. safety standards, Corning says, and it has endured automakers' tests on rough roads and in wind tunnels.
Automakers tend to use tempered glass on side windows because it breaks into tiny pieces and doesn't have a plastic layer that could hinder someone from exiting the vehicle in a crash.
Harshbarger says the company is also working with several other automakers, who are racing to meet stricter fuel economy standards that go into effect in a decade.
[...] Stephanie Brinley, a senior analyst with IHS Automotive, says launching new technology on high-end cars helps companies figure out if it would be feasible on other vehicles.