Tesla Patents Preview Innovative Ways to Keep Hot Electric Cars Cool
Key takeaways
- What if your car's panoramic glass roof was part of the air-conditioning system?
- Sure, it opened up the cabin with a more airy feel, but when the sun is beating down, it might as well be a magnifying glass hanging over an anthill.
- It's not a new kind of electrochromic glass, as that already exists, but rather a way to turn that glass roof into part of the HVAC system.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
What if your car's panoramic glass roof was part of the air-conditioning system?
Michael Simari|Car and Driver Tesla patents preview innovative ways to improve the efficiency of electric cars by cooling the cabin more effectively.One patent features a roof formed from a sandwich of regular glass and perforated glass with a honeycomb center.A second patent includes a system for pumping hot air out of the cockpit, which could be combined with the vented roof.With summertime approaching, that panoramic glass roof you optioned starts looking less like a feature and more like a liability. Sure, it opened up the cabin with a more airy feel, but when the sun is beating down, it might as well be a magnifying glass hanging over an anthill. Perhaps spurred by the number of glass-roofed machines it has sold in sunny California, Tesla has patented a solution to the problem, as reported by Autoblog.
It's not a new kind of electrochromic glass, as that already exists, but rather a way to turn that glass roof into part of the HVAC system. Using a sheet of perforated glass sandwiched with a conventional glass roof, Tesla's patent invention turns a panoramic roof into a diffuser for cool air over occupants' heads.