To develop alternate solutions to glass window glazing, two leading Polycarbonate suppliers Bayer and GE formed a joint venture called Exatec way back in 1998. The company demonstrated the first complete window glazing at NPE-2003. The scientists involved in the project at that time confessed that real approval as well as the commercialization of this concept would be much later. The automobile industry today is increasingly recognizing the distinct advantages of polycarbonate window glazing over glass. The most important being increased design freedom and flexibility. But because it weighs so much less than glass, polycarbonate also provides better fuel efficiency and when used in roof modules it provides greater stability by lowering the vehicle's center of gravity.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from the US Department of Transportation has now approved the polycarbonate automotive window glazing system Exatec® 900 for all non-windshield glazing, as long as it fulfills the entire existing automobile glazing requirements. Independent laboratory certification demonstrates that the system can meet the NHTSA's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) for automobile glazing. This approval paves the way for polycarbonate glazing not only in the USA, but also worldwide. With the exception of the windshield, Exatec® 900 meets all the current requirements for use in automobiles.

The trend to polycarbonate window glazing is taking hold in Europe, where Bayer MaterialScience is the leading supplier. The company's polycarbonate grades- Makrolon® AG 2677 has been developed especially for automotive glazing used in the quarter windows of DaimlerChrysler's Smart Fortwo and Smart Roadster Coupé, and in the side window and roof of its Smart Forfour. Other applications include the transparent rear panel of the Mercedes C-Class Coupé and the lamella roof of the Mercedes A-Class and B-Class models.