Syracuse and Buffalo, New York. Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Montana. Anywhere there’s a ski lodge. Lincoln’s new VisioBlade wipers are designed to make life where there’s winter a little easier.
The blades contain a heating element that is integrated into their assembly that keeps the blades warm and prevents the buildup of ice, both on the blades and windshield. They are flat in shape, which also allows for better contact with the windscreen.
Currently available on the 2020 Aviator, the VisioBlades are more than just heated. They also dispense washer fluid directly through nozzles on the blade as opposed to relying on easily iced over ports on the car’s hood. Lincoln says that not only does this keep the fluid flowing but it allows it to have more widespread distribution on the windshield.
“You don’t get that ice buildup on the blades when you’re driving through sleet or snow,” said said Geoffrey Johnson, body core engineer, Lincoln Motor Company. “It’s a more efficient way to keep the windshield clear.”
Internal tests show the blades can heat from subfreezing temperatures to 86 degrees Fahrenheit in four minutes; a traditional defroster alone can take up to 15 minutes to clear an ice-caked windshield.
The VisioBlade system is available as part of the Elements Package Plus ($1,180) on Aviator Reserve trim levels and up. Alongside the blades, the package includes heated and ventilated first- and second-row seats and a heated steering wheel.
