Since its release, the Tesla Model S vehicle has become the top choice for people who want a Sedan but also an electric vehicle.
Although the car offers futuristic features that actually work, it does have certain design flaws that disappoint owners after short usage.
One of these features is the panoramic glass roof. While the roof itself looks beautiful and offers great views, it makes your car a greenhouse.
This may favor those living in colder conditions. However, in any regular climate, it can make your car a greenhouse.
So, today, we’ll take a look at the Tesla Model S glass roof heat issue and ways to fix it. Let’s get started!
Does Teslas Get Hot with the Glass Roof?
Tesla cars come with a panoramic glass roof that covers from the top to the very back of the car.
Now, this roof does come with multiple coatings. Coated glass is essentially glass with filters that are designed specifically for restricting the passage of light, solar energy, and UV rays. Moreover, these do a good job at blocking these as they can restrict the entrance of UV rays up to 99%.
Also, they can protect you from infrared rays very well. The glass roof on Tesla vehicles is equipped to absorb a lot of the IR rays.
Now, IR rays aren’t heating, but they’re light. This means the heat is the result of the molecules vibrating due to the day’s travel.
Yes, Tesla roofs can block out this travel. In the process, the roof itself gets heated up. Later on, the heat radiates into the vehicle.
So, you don’t have to worry about the UV rays or the IR rays entering your vehicle. That doesn’t mean, however, that your vehicle won’t get hot. It will get hot, and it will affect you drastically in the summer.
Does Tesla Roof Have Heat Rejection?
Not really. There are a lot of people who believe that Tesla glass roofs have heat rejection, but this isn’t the case.
The Tesla roofs are definitely tinted, and they’re quite capable of blocking out solar rays. They don’t do a good job of blocking any heat.
In some cases, you may not feel the heat radiating from the glass roof. However, you will feel it on a sunny day. The heat might even become distracting if you’re tall and your head lies only a few inches from the roof.
How Do You Fix the Tesla Model S Glass Roof Heat Issues?
The heating issue from the Tesla Model S vehicles can cause multiple problems. Here are some solutions that may help alleviate the situation for you.
Pre-Condition the Car Before Driving
One of the best features of the Tesla is that it can be controlled remotely with a simple phone app. To counter the heating problem, you can utilize remote connectivity.
Something a lot of Tesla owners complain about is finding their car heated up once they park it for a while, especially on sunny days. Now, there are two approaches to fixing this problem.
Firstly, you could leave the air conditioning on. This will keep the vehicle cool when you return. However, this solution may not be feasible if you’ll be leaving for quite some time.
Also, if there isn’t any charging outlet around the spot where you’ve parked. This is because the air conditioning can use up quite some charge.
This solution may not be feasible for everyone. This brings us to our next solution.
If you’re leaving your car parked for a considerable period, you can use the app to turn the AC on remotely a few minutes before your arrival. This will help cool the vehicle down while preserving the power.
However, you should note that this solution can’t be used if your vehicle’s power is lower than 20% or if it’s in Sentry Mode.
Use Roof Shades
Our next solution may not be convenient for everyone as it has quite a few downsides. However, it will surely decrease the temperature of your Tesla by a mile.
This method requires you to install an internal roof shade in your Tesla. You can find these shades for a cheap price on online marketplaces like Amazon or in nearby auto stores.
Usually, these aren’t tough to install. You can install these easily by yourself, but things will get far easier if you have an extra pair of hands.
The problem is that you may have to make the extra effort of installing a roofing shade as you’ll have to do this multiple times.
Now, why would you take the roof shade down in the first place? This brings us to our next problem.
The internal roof shade can block the entire view of the roof. This won’t only keep you from the beautiful view the panoramic vehicles offer, but it will also block the rearview.
Yet, it’s one of the best solutions for decreasing the internal temperature of your Tesla Model S.
Should You Replace the Roof of Your Tesla Model S?
Even the Tesla Model 3 glass roof replacement costs more than a thousand dollars. So, it comes as no surprise that the replacement for Model S can cost at least twice as much.
This is why we don’t recommend replacing the entire roof of your Tesla Model S. If you must reduce the temperature, you should opt for the solutions mentioned earlier.
These aren’t only cost-effective, but they’ll also let you enjoy the panoramic view when you want.
Conclusion
The Tesla Model S glass roof heat issues are real, and they can get very annoying in summer. This problem will pester especially the tall ones. So, we highly recommend opting for the solutions discussed.
While both solutions work well, we recommend installing a roofing shade. This will not only protect your head from heat radiation, but it’ll also be more cost-effective over time.
