Car HUDs Are Bad. Jaguar Land Rover Is Testing Tech to Change That

AllFocal Optics has patented a new type of nanophotonic lens with the power to transform everything from virtual and augmented reality headsets to night vision goggles, binoculars, cameras and heads-up displays.

Jaguar Land Rover has embarked on a research project to discover whether the lens can improve car HUDs and, with it, road safety.

Its makers say the lens beams a clear picture directly to your retina, bypassing the need for glasses entirely.

AllFocal Optics hopes its lens will be adopted by car manufacturers and suppliers of heads-up displays.

The nanophotonic lens removes the need for a driver to switch their focus between the road and the HUD .

JLR (formerly Jaguar Land Rover ) is set to begin a trial of the lens this year .

Holographic HUD technology can be placed anywhere on the windshield.

It uses diffraction to deliver an interface to the eyes of the driver and passenger.

Envisics' first HUD with augmented reality is due to appear in the 2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V , an electric SUV coming later this year .