15 ms·

I live in a pretty hot city (My car's outside thermometer showed 48°C yesterday at midday). The extended range is nice and all, but if somebody makes a car tha

I live in a pretty hot city (My car's outside thermometer showed 48°C yesterday at midday). The extended range is nice and all, but if somebody makes a car that can run the AC without running/draining the battery while it's parked, even if it's just a little to keep the car interior at 35°C or so, I would, without exaggeration, buy it the day it's released here. Hell, I'd consider it even if it would just keep the fans on to vent the hot air out. Parking in the sun while doing errands, which often involve multiple short trips where the car's AC doesn't get enough time to cool it down, seems to be a very common cause of heat-stroke among white-collar workers here. I've had to go to the ER twice about it this summer alone.

agumonkey 7y ago
how much power does an AC use (say on medium settings) ?
- temporaryvector 7y ago
  I'm actually not sure in terms of car AC. Local wisdom says that on hot days your AC will sap up to 10 HP from your engine. Not sure how accurate that is. Looking around on Telsa forums and the like, I'm seeing numbers between 1 and 3 kW. My house's mini split AC unit draws around 9 amps (according to documentation, anyway), so around 2 kW. Actual numbers seem to be closer to 3 kW in the summer.
  - agumonkey 7y ago
    hmm, gets me wondering if that's why my car can't climb hills when on AC.
    - fencepost 7y ago
      "Hang on, I'm hitting the turbo button." (turns off AC)
      - agumonkey 7y ago
        as an 80s kid you don't know how much I love your idea..
      - usrusr 7y ago
        Every car with voice control should recognize “divert life support to propulsion" as a command to turn off engine-driven AC.
        penagwin 7y ago
        Oh man passenger reactions would be so awesome. Suddenly the driver just says "divert life support to propulsion" - and the passengers are like "WAIT WHAT LIFE SUPPORT?!"
    - InvaderFizz 7y ago
      That may be part of it. Most (all?) newer cars will automatically cut off the AC pump under heavy acceleration.
  - jmpman 7y ago
    I currently have my Tesla plugged in to my 6kw home charger, with the AC blasting, and the range isn’t increasing, leading me to believe that the AC running 100% takes around 6kw.
- SigmundA 7y ago
  Not sure on medium but I think ev A/C like Tesla's are 15,000 btu units. A 15k btu a/c should be between 1000-1600 watts depending on efficiency.
- redwall_hp 7y ago
  Wikipedia says 3kW https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_air_conditioning#Power_consumption https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_air_conditioning#Po... It also says that the most efficient photovoltaics yield 175W per square meter. (Though I've seen figures as high as 200W.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel#Efficiencies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel#Efficiencies
  - hwillis 7y ago
    That's for a belt-driven A/C, tied directly to the engine RPM. They're inherently much less efficient because they have to work over a wide range of speeds. A motor-driven A/C will be 1-2 kW. That's also the peak power, and a motorized A/C will instead be turned on and off leading to a much lower power draw that also depends less on the peak power. Typically a 50-30% duty cycle, so 200-300 watts very roughly. More depending on the insulation, sun, and outside temperature.
    - robocat 7y ago
      And if instead of getting into a sweltering 330K car, if 300W was enough power to cool it to a reasonable 300K, that's still a win. Happy to start car to cool it down to a comfier 295K.
      - WrtCdEvrydy 7y ago
        This man is using Kelvin... why do you use Kelvin?
  - agumonkey 7y ago
    yeah forget it, 3kW is small house scale the best bet with solar panel AC... is to cover all windows with them so sunlight doesn't heat the inside of the car when parked. :cough:
- cj 7y ago
  This probably isn't the most reliable source, but the infotainment screen on my VW estimates the hourly gas consumption for the climate system. Running on Max A/C, the screen reads just under 1/8 gal/hr. With the A/C on and with the fans at 50%, consumption is a little less but still around 1/8 gal/hr. Consumption drops too low to get a reading when A/C is off with fans 50%.
- hwillis 7y ago
  Window units range from 700 W to 2+ kW. The Model 3 has a pretty powerful one, at least 1 kW. That's peak draw, and it'll turn on and off intermittently[1]. Average draw should work out to 200-300 watts for medium. [1]: Like a fridge. Refrigeration systems are most efficient at full power. IIRC it's due to the restrictor plate separating the hot and cold radiators- it's designed to work at a certain rate of flow, so you'll get gas and liquid mixing at lower power.
devoply 7y ago
It would also be cool, pun intended, to add windows with liquid crystals that can darken when parked to keep additional heat out.
- icebraining 7y ago
  Smart film/tint/glass on a car window: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7xEcI1oSVs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7xEcI1oSVs
- DonHopkins 7y ago
  Wouldn't darkening just absorb more heat? How about turning white, or a reflective coating? (Maybe not something liquid crystals could do, but a car with mirror shades would look cool.)
  - devoply 7y ago
    Probably true that white or reflective coating would be better, but even with black there would be much less green house effect inside the car. The windows would heat up though and would be cooled by the air outside.
  - fencepost 7y ago
    I believe the reduced interior heating comes from the windows absorbing heat instead of the interior surfaces. Those hotter windows may radiate some inside, but they'll radiate a lot outside that never got into the interior.
- hwillis 7y ago
  I've wanted this for a while, in combo with a head-tracking cabin camera. That way the windscreen would tint in specific areas over the sun, oncoming headlights, and glare. You can't use LCs, as they don't have a real "clear" mode- they always block a very significant amount of light. You'd have to use electrochromatic paint or similar, as some trains and airplanes do. It's expensive and a chipped windscreen would be awful. You also can't get great resolution. I still wish somebody would do it.
ummonk 7y ago
Yeah I'd want that in a normal ICE car.
- helloguillecl 7y ago
  Why would you want this feature knowing that is burning gas that you paid for while idle? Would you be happy about the car releasing toxic gases like CO and NOX while parked?
  - jodrellblank 7y ago
    Because of the “going to the emergency room twice with heat stroke” thing, I’d guess.
    - Johnny555 7y ago
      But it seems that "dying of CO poisoning while staying cool from the AC" would be worse?
      - ummonk 7y ago
        Yes, and solar roof would prevent that...
      - userbinator 7y ago
        Presumably you park the car outdoors when it's running, where it exhausts into the atmosphere like usual.
  - bumby 7y ago
    This comment confuses me. The electric energy isn't free, and depending on the source its possibly emitting the same gases (but hopefully at a lower rate due to efficiency gains). I'm all for EVs but I find these types of comments distracting and underscoring a fundamental misunderstanding
    - helloguillecl 7y ago
zwily 7y ago
I keep the AC on in my Tesla a lot during the summer. Costs a couple miles per hour of range. Totally worth it.
ilyaeck 7y ago
In theory, the solar roof should absorb ~30% of the rays a cars is exposed to, so it won't heat up as much. Not sure if the effect would be significant, though.
- dreamcompiler 7y ago
  It would help but the glass windows (greenhouse effect) are probably a bigger factor.
  - olyjohn 7y ago
    Good window tints (with IR and UV blockers) help big time keeping the car cool.
  - sgc 7y ago
    We need integrated pop up solar car awnings that provide energy and shade. They actually make funky pop up car awnings, but a sleeker, solar option would probably take hold in hotter climates.
- robotresearcher 7y ago
  How does that compare the the fraction reflected by a white paint scheme?
  - the8472 7y ago
    You can have your cake, eat it and get icing on top by using a coating that a) has a transmission window in the range that's useful for PV b) has high emissivity in the atmosphere's IR window c) has high reflectivity in the rest of the spectrum
    - robotresearcher 7y ago
      That’s awesome. Either we don’t have those materials nailed yet, or the demo version pictured has the cells showing for presentation purposes, or both. Edit: third possibility described by the interesting reply below: there could be an out of visible band reflective coating over the panels.
hwillis 7y ago
> The extended range is nice and all, but if somebody makes a car that can run the AC without running/draining the battery while it's parked, even if it's just a little to keep the car interior at 35°C or so, I would, without exaggeration, buy it the day it's released here. Tesla's dog mode does this. Draining the battery isn't really something to worry about; AC uses <300 watts over long periods (turns on and off at <1 kW). Leaving it on for 8+ hours you're talking about <5% capacity loss, at a cost of <50 cents. For short trips you could leave the AC on full blast without even noticing a drop.
- temporaryvector 7y ago
  I'm not sure how true that would be in extremely hot weather, but it is probably the only reason I'm considering a Tesla if it ever comes to my city, my commute is really short so even if it cut 200 miles off the range it'd be worth it for me. Having a car with remote start alleviates the problem a little bit, but I'd rather not run an ICE engine while I'm not in the car for obvious reasons.
  - hwillis 7y ago
    Even on constant full blast with the smallest battery Tesla sells, it's only gonna use ~2-3% per hour. Over 8 hours that would be 44 miles off the 220 mile range. > but it is probably the only reason I'm considering a Tesla if it ever comes to my city Hmm, Telsa should be pretty reachable. Perth and El Paso look like some of the only neglected hot cities.
    - temporaryvector 7y ago
      I don't live in the US, as far as I'm aware there's only one Tesla store in my country and it's nowhere near me.
      - hwillis 7y ago
        I figured- Perth is in Australia. If you're in Mexico you're pretty screwed, as is... South America, Africa, and most of Asia. You can check the map if you like! https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2&bounds=67.51085725091038%2C-33.63623082835784%2C-15.19361167862115%2C-144.99365270335784&zoom=4&filters=store https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2&bounds=67.51085725091038%2C...
matt-attack 7y ago
> I would ... buy it the day it’s released Sounds like this “dog mode” does exactly what you’re wanting. I see a new Tesla in your future :)
seltzered_ 7y ago
2015 and later variants of the Prius already have this via the solar roof option: https://www.jpauleytoyota.com/blog/how-does-the-toyota-prius-solar-roof-feature-work/ https://www.jpauleytoyota.com/blog/how-does-the-toyota-prius... “If you want to activate the solar powered ventilation system before you get out of the vehicle it is a simple process. On the left side of the steering column, you will find a small square button with a car and fan on it. Press this button before you turn off your vehicle and you are all set. Next time you get in your Toyota Prius it will be nice and cool.” Edit: apparently it’s limited to running the fan, there’s also a remote a/c option that’ll run for a few minutes off of battery before you get to the car.
- temporaryvector 7y ago
  I did not know that, and neither did the salesman when I was choosing my current car. They really should put that feature front and center, at least locally. Maybe that option isn't available in this market.
  - fdjlasdfjl 7y ago
    The salesman isn't there to be an expert on the car, he's there to be an expert on how to screw you on the contract. It's one of the better things about Tesla, their sales people actually know the ins and outs of the cars because that is the only reason they are there.
- tda 7y ago
  The solar roof for running a fan has been around since the 2010 prius.
  - martinpw 7y ago
    I had a 2010 Prius with the solar roof. It does work, but it just reduced the temperature from unbearable to quite hot, it did not make it cool. It's somewhat nice to have on very hot days, but is not really a killer feature.
- sundvor 7y ago
pbhjpbhj 7y ago
Seems like a specialised window AC unit could work, run it off solar panels on the dash board. Maybe not safe for insecure areas but a controlled work car-park .. but then you could probably just leave your windows open in 'safe' places.
dev_dull 7y ago
Great idea! Much of this cooling can probably be accomplished by better sun shading and airflow. I always thought this[1] type of privacy glass would be a great idea in a car. Put it in park and the windows automatically tint. http://www.smartglassinternational.com/electric-switchable-glass/ http://www.smartglassinternational.com/electric-switchable-g...
koreyb 7y ago
It hits these temps in Phoenix; huge market for Tesla's. They have cabin overheat protection plus you can start the AC from an app on your phone. Really nice!
dd36 7y ago
Tesla will keep your car at 105F or less while parked unless your battery is too low.
dghughes 7y ago
Electrically adjustable tint for windows would be a better option if it existed. Keep the heat out instead of dealing with it after it heats up the interior. Just regular tint would be good too. I'm not sure if there are tints which block depending on the angle of the sun.
mixmastamyk 7y ago
My old car had a sunroof that could also tilt up. That took the edge off and let excessive heat escape. Combined with a reflective windshield shade it worked reasonably well. Not chilly but more practical and env friendly than running AC for 8 hours a day.
mrb 7y ago
«somebody makes a car that can run the AC without running/draining the battery while it's parked» Temperatures could be reduced significantly with a car modification that uses very little energy: a small fan to circulate and replace all inside air with outside air, and a one-piece reflective foil cover on top of the car, covering the entire windshield + roof + sides + rear windshield.
jacobmassey 7y ago
In the meantime, maybe roll your windows down when you get in the car?
- ambicapter 7y ago
  > My car's outside thermometer showed 48°C In case you wanted to feel like you were in a blast furnace instead of an oven?
unfoldedCravat 7y ago
A couple of the old Priuses used to have a solar powered fan. I can’t find any good info on it at the moment but IIRC it was basically a computer fan coupled to a small solar panel so don’t think it was too effective. https://priuschat.com/threads/solar-powered-fan-is-it-working.94669/ https://priuschat.com/threads/solar-powered-fan-is-it-workin...
Johnny555 7y ago
Many modern Hybrids run the AC off battery so would it be sufficient to buy a hybrid with an app that can do "remote start" so you can turn on the car an hour before you leave work?
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
golover721 7y ago
Electric car or not, a very low tech but effective approach is to use a decent sunshade. Quick to set up, and have been shown to lower the internal temperature 20 degrees or so.
syntaxing 7y ago
Toyota Prius had (has?) something similar. They had this add on where they install a 100W panel on the roof to run the car fan to vent outside air in and inside air out. One of my coworkers had it and the car temperature was significantly lower during the summer days during lunch.
nikhizzle 7y ago
My gasoline Volvo has a feature where you can run the ac/heater remotely from a watch and phone app. It is limited to 15 minutes, but I find 5 minutes at full blast makes it very nice when I get in. I believe hybrid Volvos can do this while using the battery.
sxates 7y ago
I had this feature on my old 2007 Audi A6, which replaced the moon roof with a solar sun roof, which powered a fresh air fan when parked in the sun. I purchased it off-lease, and it was pretty much maxed out on features. I never saw another A6 with the solar option - I think it had to be special ordered from the factory. A shame, it was really handy in the Texas heat. Now I have a tesla which can just run the AC at will, which is even better :)
bamboozled 7y ago
Actually, in Tokyo I noticed it's common for drivers to wait for their clients for hours, sleeping in the car with the air conditioner on with the engine running, hopefully this is one step closer towards solving that issue!
quaa55 7y ago
Someone mentioned dog mode in a Tesla, but that’s not the only feature that does this. Dog mode or Camping mode is for keeping the interior at something around 20c or whatever you set. from reading your comment it sounds like you just don’t want the interior to ever get over 35c, which is exactly what the Cabin Overheat Protection mode is. Basically this is a set it and forget it setting that ensures the inside will never go over 100F. You can choose to use ac which kicks it on and off every so often using minimal range, or you can choose for it to only use outside ambient air, granted it if it’s 48c then you are only getting as cold as that. check out this article and video https://insideevs.com/news/340230/how-much-does-cabin-overheat-protection-impact-tesla-model-3-range/ https://insideevs.com/news/340230/how-much-does-cabin-overhe...
fred_is_fred 7y ago
Just an idea but maybe you shouldn't run errands at noon anymore? Twice to the ER from running errands seems extreme.

agumonkey 7y ago

how much power does an AC use (say on medium settings) ?

temporaryvector 7y ago
I'm actually not sure in terms of car AC. Local wisdom says that on hot days your AC will sap up to 10 HP from your engine. Not sure how accurate that is. Looking around on Telsa forums and the like, I'm seeing numbers between 1 and 3 kW. My house's mini split AC unit draws around 9 amps (according to documentation, anyway), so around 2 kW. Actual numbers seem to be closer to 3 kW in the summer.
- agumonkey 7y ago
  hmm, gets me wondering if that's why my car can't climb hills when on AC.
  - fencepost 7y ago
    "Hang on, I'm hitting the turbo button." (turns off AC)
    - agumonkey 7y ago
      as an 80s kid you don't know how much I love your idea..
    - usrusr 7y ago
      Every car with voice control should recognize “divert life support to propulsion" as a command to turn off engine-driven AC.
      - penagwin 7y ago
        Oh man passenger reactions would be so awesome. Suddenly the driver just says "divert life support to propulsion" - and the passengers are like "WAIT WHAT LIFE SUPPORT?!"
  - InvaderFizz 7y ago
    That may be part of it. Most (all?) newer cars will automatically cut off the AC pump under heavy acceleration.
- jmpman 7y ago
  I currently have my Tesla plugged in to my 6kw home charger, with the AC blasting, and the range isn’t increasing, leading me to believe that the AC running 100% takes around 6kw.
SigmundA 7y ago
Not sure on medium but I think ev A/C like Tesla's are 15,000 btu units. A 15k btu a/c should be between 1000-1600 watts depending on efficiency.
redwall_hp 7y ago
Wikipedia says 3kW https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_air_conditioning#Power_consumption https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_air_conditioning#Po... It also says that the most efficient photovoltaics yield 175W per square meter. (Though I've seen figures as high as 200W.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel#Efficiencies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel#Efficiencies
- hwillis 7y ago
  That's for a belt-driven A/C, tied directly to the engine RPM. They're inherently much less efficient because they have to work over a wide range of speeds. A motor-driven A/C will be 1-2 kW. That's also the peak power, and a motorized A/C will instead be turned on and off leading to a much lower power draw that also depends less on the peak power. Typically a 50-30% duty cycle, so 200-300 watts very roughly. More depending on the insulation, sun, and outside temperature.
  - robocat 7y ago
    And if instead of getting into a sweltering 330K car, if 300W was enough power to cool it to a reasonable 300K, that's still a win. Happy to start car to cool it down to a comfier 295K.
    - WrtCdEvrydy 7y ago
      This man is using Kelvin... why do you use Kelvin?
- agumonkey 7y ago
  yeah forget it, 3kW is small house scale the best bet with solar panel AC... is to cover all windows with them so sunlight doesn't heat the inside of the car when parked. :cough:
cj 7y ago
This probably isn't the most reliable source, but the infotainment screen on my VW estimates the hourly gas consumption for the climate system. Running on Max A/C, the screen reads just under 1/8 gal/hr. With the A/C on and with the fans at 50%, consumption is a little less but still around 1/8 gal/hr. Consumption drops too low to get a reading when A/C is off with fans 50%.
hwillis 7y ago
Window units range from 700 W to 2+ kW. The Model 3 has a pretty powerful one, at least 1 kW. That's peak draw, and it'll turn on and off intermittently[1]. Average draw should work out to 200-300 watts for medium. [1]: Like a fridge. Refrigeration systems are most efficient at full power. IIRC it's due to the restrictor plate separating the hot and cold radiators- it's designed to work at a certain rate of flow, so you'll get gas and liquid mixing at lower power.

devoply 7y ago

It would also be cool, pun intended, to add windows with liquid crystals that can darken when parked to keep additional heat out.

icebraining 7y ago
Smart film/tint/glass on a car window: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7xEcI1oSVs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7xEcI1oSVs
DonHopkins 7y ago
Wouldn't darkening just absorb more heat? How about turning white, or a reflective coating? (Maybe not something liquid crystals could do, but a car with mirror shades would look cool.)
- devoply 7y ago
  Probably true that white or reflective coating would be better, but even with black there would be much less green house effect inside the car. The windows would heat up though and would be cooled by the air outside.
- fencepost 7y ago
  I believe the reduced interior heating comes from the windows absorbing heat instead of the interior surfaces. Those hotter windows may radiate some inside, but they'll radiate a lot outside that never got into the interior.
hwillis 7y ago
I've wanted this for a while, in combo with a head-tracking cabin camera. That way the windscreen would tint in specific areas over the sun, oncoming headlights, and glare. You can't use LCs, as they don't have a real "clear" mode- they always block a very significant amount of light. You'd have to use electrochromatic paint or similar, as some trains and airplanes do. It's expensive and a chipped windscreen would be awful. You also can't get great resolution. I still wish somebody would do it.

ummonk 7y ago

Yeah I'd want that in a normal ICE car.

helloguillecl 7y ago
Why would you want this feature knowing that is burning gas that you paid for while idle? Would you be happy about the car releasing toxic gases like CO and NOX while parked?
- jodrellblank 7y ago
  Because of the “going to the emergency room twice with heat stroke” thing, I’d guess.
  - Johnny555 7y ago
    But it seems that "dying of CO poisoning while staying cool from the AC" would be worse?
    - ummonk 7y ago
      Yes, and solar roof would prevent that...
    - userbinator 7y ago
      Presumably you park the car outdoors when it's running, where it exhausts into the atmosphere like usual.
- bumby 7y ago
  This comment confuses me. The electric energy isn't free, and depending on the source its possibly emitting the same gases (but hopefully at a lower rate due to efficiency gains). I'm all for EVs but I find these types of comments distracting and underscoring a fundamental misunderstanding
  - helloguillecl 7y ago

zwily 7y ago

I keep the AC on in my Tesla a lot during the summer. Costs a couple miles per hour of range. Totally worth it.

ilyaeck 7y ago

In theory, the solar roof should absorb ~30% of the rays a cars is exposed to, so it won't heat up as much. Not sure if the effect would be significant, though.

dreamcompiler 7y ago
It would help but the glass windows (greenhouse effect) are probably a bigger factor.
- olyjohn 7y ago
  Good window tints (with IR and UV blockers) help big time keeping the car cool.
- sgc 7y ago
  We need integrated pop up solar car awnings that provide energy and shade. They actually make funky pop up car awnings, but a sleeker, solar option would probably take hold in hotter climates.
robotresearcher 7y ago
How does that compare the the fraction reflected by a white paint scheme?
- the8472 7y ago
  You can have your cake, eat it and get icing on top by using a coating that a) has a transmission window in the range that's useful for PV b) has high emissivity in the atmosphere's IR window c) has high reflectivity in the rest of the spectrum
  - robotresearcher 7y ago
    That’s awesome. Either we don’t have those materials nailed yet, or the demo version pictured has the cells showing for presentation purposes, or both. Edit: third possibility described by the interesting reply below: there could be an out of visible band reflective coating over the panels.

hwillis 7y ago

> The extended range is nice and all, but if somebody makes a car that can run the AC without running/draining the battery while it's parked, even if it's just a little to keep the car interior at 35°C or so, I would, without exaggeration, buy it the day it's released here. Tesla's dog mode does this. Draining the battery isn't really something to worry about; AC uses <300 watts over long periods (turns on and off at <1 kW). Leaving it on for 8+ hours you're talking about <5% capacity loss, at a cost of <50 cents. For short trips you could leave the AC on full blast without even noticing a drop.

temporaryvector 7y ago
I'm not sure how true that would be in extremely hot weather, but it is probably the only reason I'm considering a Tesla if it ever comes to my city, my commute is really short so even if it cut 200 miles off the range it'd be worth it for me. Having a car with remote start alleviates the problem a little bit, but I'd rather not run an ICE engine while I'm not in the car for obvious reasons.
- hwillis 7y ago
  Even on constant full blast with the smallest battery Tesla sells, it's only gonna use ~2-3% per hour. Over 8 hours that would be 44 miles off the 220 mile range. > but it is probably the only reason I'm considering a Tesla if it ever comes to my city Hmm, Telsa should be pretty reachable. Perth and El Paso look like some of the only neglected hot cities.
  - temporaryvector 7y ago
    I don't live in the US, as far as I'm aware there's only one Tesla store in my country and it's nowhere near me.
    - hwillis 7y ago
      I figured- Perth is in Australia. If you're in Mexico you're pretty screwed, as is... South America, Africa, and most of Asia. You can check the map if you like! https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2&bounds=67.51085725091038%2C-33.63623082835784%2C-15.19361167862115%2C-144.99365270335784&zoom=4&filters=store https://www.tesla.com/findus?v=2&bounds=67.51085725091038%2C...

matt-attack 7y ago

> I would ... buy it the day it’s released Sounds like this “dog mode” does exactly what you’re wanting. I see a new Tesla in your future :)

seltzered_ 7y ago

2015 and later variants of the Prius already have this via the solar roof option: https://www.jpauleytoyota.com/blog/how-does-the-toyota-prius-solar-roof-feature-work/ https://www.jpauleytoyota.com/blog/how-does-the-toyota-prius... “If you want to activate the solar powered ventilation system before you get out of the vehicle it is a simple process. On the left side of the steering column, you will find a small square button with a car and fan on it. Press this button before you turn off your vehicle and you are all set. Next time you get in your Toyota Prius it will be nice and cool.” Edit: apparently it’s limited to running the fan, there’s also a remote a/c option that’ll run for a few minutes off of battery before you get to the car.

temporaryvector 7y ago
I did not know that, and neither did the salesman when I was choosing my current car. They really should put that feature front and center, at least locally. Maybe that option isn't available in this market.
- fdjlasdfjl 7y ago
  The salesman isn't there to be an expert on the car, he's there to be an expert on how to screw you on the contract. It's one of the better things about Tesla, their sales people actually know the ins and outs of the cars because that is the only reason they are there.
tda 7y ago
The solar roof for running a fan has been around since the 2010 prius.
- martinpw 7y ago
  I had a 2010 Prius with the solar roof. It does work, but it just reduced the temperature from unbearable to quite hot, it did not make it cool. It's somewhat nice to have on very hot days, but is not really a killer feature.
sundvor 7y ago

pbhjpbhj 7y ago

Seems like a specialised window AC unit could work, run it off solar panels on the dash board. Maybe not safe for insecure areas but a controlled work car-park .. but then you could probably just leave your windows open in 'safe' places.

dev_dull 7y ago

Great idea! Much of this cooling can probably be accomplished by better sun shading and airflow. I always thought this[1] type of privacy glass would be a great idea in a car. Put it in park and the windows automatically tint. http://www.smartglassinternational.com/electric-switchable-glass/ http://www.smartglassinternational.com/electric-switchable-g...

koreyb 7y ago

It hits these temps in Phoenix; huge market for Tesla's. They have cabin overheat protection plus you can start the AC from an app on your phone. Really nice!

dd36 7y ago

Tesla will keep your car at 105F or less while parked unless your battery is too low.

dghughes 7y ago

Electrically adjustable tint for windows would be a better option if it existed. Keep the heat out instead of dealing with it after it heats up the interior. Just regular tint would be good too. I'm not sure if there are tints which block depending on the angle of the sun.

mixmastamyk 7y ago

My old car had a sunroof that could also tilt up. That took the edge off and let excessive heat escape. Combined with a reflective windshield shade it worked reasonably well. Not chilly but more practical and env friendly than running AC for 8 hours a day.

mrb 7y ago

«somebody makes a car that can run the AC without running/draining the battery while it's parked» Temperatures could be reduced significantly with a car modification that uses very little energy: a small fan to circulate and replace all inside air with outside air, and a one-piece reflective foil cover on top of the car, covering the entire windshield + roof + sides + rear windshield.

jacobmassey 7y ago

In the meantime, maybe roll your windows down when you get in the car?

ambicapter 7y ago
> My car's outside thermometer showed 48°C In case you wanted to feel like you were in a blast furnace instead of an oven?

unfoldedCravat 7y ago

A couple of the old Priuses used to have a solar powered fan. I can’t find any good info on it at the moment but IIRC it was basically a computer fan coupled to a small solar panel so don’t think it was too effective. https://priuschat.com/threads/solar-powered-fan-is-it-working.94669/ https://priuschat.com/threads/solar-powered-fan-is-it-workin...

Johnny555 7y ago

Many modern Hybrids run the AC off battery so would it be sufficient to buy a hybrid with an app that can do "remote start" so you can turn on the car an hour before you leave work?

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

golover721 7y ago

Electric car or not, a very low tech but effective approach is to use a decent sunshade. Quick to set up, and have been shown to lower the internal temperature 20 degrees or so.

syntaxing 7y ago

Toyota Prius had (has?) something similar. They had this add on where they install a 100W panel on the roof to run the car fan to vent outside air in and inside air out. One of my coworkers had it and the car temperature was significantly lower during the summer days during lunch.

nikhizzle 7y ago

My gasoline Volvo has a feature where you can run the ac/heater remotely from a watch and phone app. It is limited to 15 minutes, but I find 5 minutes at full blast makes it very nice when I get in. I believe hybrid Volvos can do this while using the battery.

sxates 7y ago

I had this feature on my old 2007 Audi A6, which replaced the moon roof with a solar sun roof, which powered a fresh air fan when parked in the sun. I purchased it off-lease, and it was pretty much maxed out on features. I never saw another A6 with the solar option - I think it had to be special ordered from the factory. A shame, it was really handy in the Texas heat. Now I have a tesla which can just run the AC at will, which is even better :)

bamboozled 7y ago

Actually, in Tokyo I noticed it's common for drivers to wait for their clients for hours, sleeping in the car with the air conditioner on with the engine running, hopefully this is one step closer towards solving that issue!

quaa55 7y ago

Someone mentioned dog mode in a Tesla, but that’s not the only feature that does this. Dog mode or Camping mode is for keeping the interior at something around 20c or whatever you set. from reading your comment it sounds like you just don’t want the interior to ever get over 35c, which is exactly what the Cabin Overheat Protection mode is. Basically this is a set it and forget it setting that ensures the inside will never go over 100F. You can choose to use ac which kicks it on and off every so often using minimal range, or you can choose for it to only use outside ambient air, granted it if it’s 48c then you are only getting as cold as that. check out this article and video https://insideevs.com/news/340230/how-much-does-cabin-overheat-protection-impact-tesla-model-3-range/ https://insideevs.com/news/340230/how-much-does-cabin-overhe...

fred_is_fred 7y ago

Just an idea but maybe you shouldn't run errands at noon anymore? Twice to the ER from running errands seems extreme.