Feature Suggestion - Hot Weather Venting

[pete8314]

This is obviously more useful for those that live in a hot location. As I'm in north Texas, and my office parking lot is vast and exposed, I would find this exceptionally useful, it's something I (manually) do every day in my current car.

When arriving at the office, I'd like the car to determine the forecasted high temp for the day, and whether it is currently raining.


If the high is expected to exceed 90f (configurable), and it's not currently raining, I'd like it to present me the option to vent the hot air. Perhaps it can pop up a dialog box when I'm at a standstill in my office parking lot, based on geo-fencing.

If I choose to use te feature, I'd like the car to tilt the sunroof, and crack all the windows by about 1/2 inch.

If it starts to rain (it'll know that from the rain sensor for the wipers), then I'd like it to close everything up, and let me know via a push notification to my cellphone.

the purpose of this is to keep the cabin temperature 'reasonable'. I realize we could run the AC as well, but the point is to keep the ambient temperature a little lower without using power, so that when we do start the AC ready for the drive home, it doesn't have to work quite as hard. My parking lot is relatively safe, but others might want the option to not crack the windows.

 

[jerry33]

My parking lot is relatively safe, but others might want the option to not crack the windows.

How does cracking the windows make a car more vulnerable (a modern car anyway, the older cars I can see how it would)? (Yes, I'd like a forced air system that didn't actually use the a/c)

 

[pete8314]

you mean 'jimmy'ing' the door?

I think, in theory, modern cars should be protected against that, but, I'm not sure that's completely true, and I am sure your average car thief would be willing to give it a go regardless, and potentially damage the car in the meantime, hence why the windows might want to be optional.

 

[jerry33]

I think, in theory, modern cars should be protected against that, but, I'm not sure that's completely true, and I am sure your average car thief would be willing to give it a go regardless, and potentially damage the car in the meantime, hence why the windows might want to be optional.

I was thinking they generally break the window because it's quicker so whether the window is cracked open or not doesn't make a lot of difference. Wasting a couple of minutes trying to jimmy the lock is riskier.

 

[derekt75]

Great idea. but I think Tesla's time would be better spent on other things.
This, however, would be a great idea for an independent app developer if Tesla will allow such an idea.

 

[kendallpb]

Shoot, I'd just like a programmable soft-touch button to do this at will. If I'm stopping at a store for 2 minutes, I wouldn't use it; if I'm making a half-hour stop at a store, I would, if it's hot enough--by how it feels to me, not just how how the car sez it is. ;-) I'm not sure I'd ever want this automated, but since that'd be an option, I don't care if that's there. But some way to do it myself without spending any time fiddling with the exact window level or roof opening--great! (Yeah, I'm lazy, plus very bad at getting the window set just right....)

 

[Larry Chanin]

If it starts to rain (it'll know that from the rain sensor for the wipers), then I'd like it to close everything up, ...

Hi Pete,

Pardon the pun, but not to rain on your parade, from a practical standpoint the only thing that would be nice to have, as a later enhancement, would be the action quoted above. Here in Florida I really don't need an application to tell me its going to get hot in a car left in sun. I'd always leave the car slightly vented if I knew the car was smart enough to button things up in the event of rain.

Larry

 

[pete8314]

Hi Pete,

Pardon the pun, but not to rain on your parade, from a practical standpoint the only thing that would be nice to have, as a later enhancement, would be the action quoted above. Here in Florida I really don't need an application to tell me its going to get hot in a car left in sun. I'd always leave the car slightly vented if I knew the car was smart enough to button things up in the event of rain.

Larry

The point of the temperature check was to avoid unneeded prompts if it really wasn't hot enough, I.e. during the winter months, though it could always be something that's manually invoked regardless of the forecast.

 

[Larry Chanin]

The point of the temperature check was to avoid unneeded prompts if it really wasn't hot enough, I.e. during the winter months, though it could always be something that's manually invoked regardless of the forecast.

Sorry I don't follow, what unneeded prompts? If its hot or we think its going to get hot, we manually vent the car. If it's not hot we don't vent the car. What does it matter if it's not hot enough? In either case, regardless of whether it's cold or hot we want the car to close the car down if it rains later. In my opinion this doesn't warrant the effort to have the car try to monitor the expected local weather.

If the intent is to have the car automatically vent itself, then it would make more sense to simply measure the inside temperature rather than relying on monitoring local weather forecasts.

Larry

 

[mnx]

How about just turning the cabin fans on if the temperature inside the cabin got over a set temperature?

The idea of closing the windows and roof via the rain sensor is brilliant!

 

[thelastdeadmouse]

To me this is a feature that could be designed to just have a simple On / Off setting you'd pretty much never need to change. The car would automatically start to vent it:

1. The windshield rain sensor doesn't sense rain
2. The temperature inside the car is over ~80 - 85 degrees.
3. The inside temperature of the car is higher than the outside temperature.

As soon as one of those isn't true, the car would automatically close back up. You could also have options where if one of these wasn't true it'd turn on the AC or fan venting and that way you wouldn't even need it to alert your cell.

 

[NigelM]

2. The temperature inside the car is over ~80 - 85 degrees.

That's OK for winter temperatures, what about summer? :wink:

 

[thelastdeadmouse]

That's OK for winter temperatures, what about summer? :wink:

:biggrin: Regional concepts of what constitutes "hot" aside, it seems like the simplest way to both implement something like this and the simplest end user experience. The car would vent itself any time that its not raining, the inside of the car is uncomfortably warm, and there's potential for it to get cooler by exposing it to the ambient outside temperature, all without any user input.

 

[Lloyd]

How about just turning the cabin fans on if the temperature inside the cabin got over a set temperature?

The idea of closing the windows and roof via the rain sensor is brilliant!

Great idea, but what if you needed all of your battery to return home, and returned to your car and found that automatic programs have activated and have now diminished your battery and ability to return home without stopping for a charge. That would be frustrating.

 

[NigelM]

^^^ Then you'd have been really cutting it close in the first place.

 

[mnx]

Great idea, but what if you needed all of your battery to return home, and returned to your car and found that automatic programs have activated and have now diminished your battery and ability to return home without stopping for a charge. That would be frustrating.

10W x 24h = 240Wh. That amount of power wouldn't even move the car 1 mile! (10W is just a guess of course.) even at 100W, you're only talking 8 miles worth of range over a 24h period.
(Nigel you beat me to it).

 

[pete8314]

If the intent is to have the car automatically vent itself, then it would make more sense to simply measure the inside temperature rather than relying on monitoring local weather forecasts.
/QUOTE]

True, could do that too. I think there's a big future for the Model S being 'environmentally' aware, and doing a bunch of cool stuff that would be USP's compared to other more conventional manufacturers.

For my routine, I get to the office around 8.30, at that time, the temperature outside is maybe 80, and the cabin will obviously be cooler from the drive in. That's when I'd like the car to prompt me to consider venting as the high for the day is xx degrees. But if it's not going to get too hot, I don't want the prompt, and I don't want to leave any part of the car open unnecessarily.

I've not done any scientifc studies on the benefits of cracking the windows, but I know when I forget in my current car, after a day sitting out in the 100f+ sun, the aluminium trim inside is far hotter than I can stand to touch. with the windows cracked, I can touch it for about 5 seconds

 

[raptorweb]

If it starts to rain (it'll know that from the rain sensor for the wipers), then I'd like it to close everything up, and let me know via a push notification to my cellphone.

FWIW During the Amped event in Chicago I mentioned this idea to a few people of the Tesla reps as something I would like to see. I have never vented my windows before but that is mainly because I don't want to have to worry about the chance of rain.

 

[Larry Chanin]

Great idea, but what if you needed all of your battery to return home, and returned to your car and found that automatic programs have activated and have now diminished your battery and ability to return home without stopping for a charge. That would be frustrating.

I lean toward a cabin temperature monitoring approach which could automatically vent the car when necessary, and automatically close down when the car senses rain. It would make sense to be able to turn this feature on or off. I believe the car currently knows to turn off air conditioning when the state of charge is low. It could turn off this feature as well in such a situation.

Larry

 

[Robert.Boston]

I agree with Larry (as usual). As long as any such system is an option to use, this is a good feature. There are times, however, when I do not want the car windows opening. Warm car interiors are mosquito magnets. And you may be appalled, but I had someone pour a soda through my open sunroof when my car was street-parked once.