The process you are asking about is called sublimation, which is when water changes state from solid to gas without first becoming a liquid. Certain conditions make it more likely for sublimation to occur. Sunlight, low relative humidity, and dry wind are all conditions that are catalysts for ice changing to air. Sublimation cannot occur without heat produced by energy.
There are a number of factors that can cause the ice on the windshield to sublime. There are energy sources in a car that may create heat. These sources include body heat and the energy created by the engine. The intense wind created by the movement of the car against the air also creates energy. On a dry day, this wind will be even more effective in the process. Even if sublimation does not occur, evaporation may take place. The wind may melt the ice into small droplets of water that are simply blown off by the force of the wind around the car.
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